Suicide bomber rams car into Somali military base: police

A suicide bomber rammed a car into a Somali military base about 30 km (20 miles) northwest of the capital Mogadishu on Friday, a police official said.

Captain Hassan Nur, an officer from Afgoye district, said the base was not far from his police station and it was too early to give details.

The Islamist al Shabaab group conducts frequent bombings and gun attacks in a campaign to topple Somalia's western-backed federal government. The militants also want to drive out the African Union-backed peacekeeping force AMISOM which helps defend the government.

Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's military operations spokesman, said the group was responsible for the attack.

"There is much casualty. We shall give details later," he said.