Al-Shabab militants claim attack on Somalia base used by U.S. forces

A Somali official confirmed reports of an attack on a U.S. base in the country on Monday. Yusuf Abdourahman, a security official with the Lower Shabelle regional administration, told The Associated Press that a suicide car bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives at the gate of a military airstrip that serves as a base for U.S. and Somali forces.



He said a burst of gunfire could be heard across the base after the bombing, suggesting an ongoing attack on the facility.

Somalia's Islamic extremist rebels, al-Shabab, claimed responsibility for the attack.