NAIROBI: A spokesman for the African Union says the death toll from the twin suicide car bombing of its peacekeeping base in Somalia has risen to 21.

Gaffel Nkolokosa (en-koh-loh-KOH-sah) said Friday that the dead include 17 African Union peacekeepers and four Somali civilians. He is the spokesman for the African Union Mission for Somalia.

He says about 40 others were wounded in Thursday's attack in Mogadishu, but officials were still compiling figures.

The suicide bombers arrived at the main African Union peacekeeping base in Somalia in stolen U.N. cars packed with explosives. A Somali insurgent group claimed responsibility.