Somalia: 30 Ethiopian troops killed in attack by militants

A Somali official says 30 Ethiopian troops have been killed in an attack on a base for African Union peacekeepers in central Somalia.

Mohamed Mohamud, a military officer in the town of Halgan, said a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden vehicle early Thursday at the gates of the Ethiopian military base there before gunmen entered the base.

The Islamic extremist group al-Shabab claimed it killed 43 Ethiopian soldiers in the attack.

Ethiopian Communications Minister Getachew Reda told The Associated Press that the attack was repelled and that more than 100 of the attackers were killed. He did not say how many Ethiopians were killed or injured.