UN chief slams attack on African peacekeepers in Somalia

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday condemned the Thursday attack on Ethiopian troops at an African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) base in Halgan, Somalia, and called on the Horn of African country to "remain resolute in the fight against Al Shabaab and extremism."

The secretary-general "expresses his condolences to the families of those killed and wishes a speedy recovery for the injured soldiers," said a statement issued by Ban's spokesman.

Ban expressed his solidarity with and pays tribute to the AMISOM and the Somali National Army forces for their professional and brave response in repelling the attackers and their steadfast commitment to restoring durable security and stability in Somalia, the statement said.

"The secretary-general calls on the people of Somalia and their government to remain resolute in the fight against Al Shabaab and extremism," it said.

"He reiterates the United Nations' unwavering support for their determined efforts to build a peaceful and stable Somalia."

Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying its fighters have killed at least 60 Ethiopian soldiers at the military base.

AMISOM has denied the Al-Shabaab claim, saying its forces had driven back the attackers and were chasing them who were "on the run."

A cache of weapons has been captured as the joint forces of AMISOM and Somalia overpowered the attackers, it said.

AMISOM, comprising troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, has been helping the Somali government battle Al-Shabaab for years, driving the militants to rural areas in southern Somalia, but the group still stages periodic attacks in the country.