MOGADISHU: Somali's military says eight soldiers have been killed when a suicide car bomb targeted a training camp and attackers then entered the base on foot.

A military officer, Said Mohamed Adawe, told The Associated Press that the car bomb on Monday morning was used to allow the fighters to infiltrate the Lanta Buro base in Lower Shabelle region.

The Somalia-based al-Shabab extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it killed 30 soldiers.

Adawe said some of the Somali soldiers made a tactical withdrawal in the attack, which was ongoing.

Al-Shabab also targeted the camp last year with a similar attack, killing more than 15 soldiers.