Ethiopia base in Somalia attacked by al-Shabab

This is the first time al-Shabab has attacked an Ethiopian-run base in Somalia

Somali Islamist militant group al-Shabab says it has killed 60 Ethiopian soldiers in an attack on an African Union base in central Somalia.

The AU mission (Amisom) says it repulsed the attack killing 110 militants.

Residents in Halgan told the BBC they had heard a huge bang followed by a heavy exchange of gunfire.

Amisom supports the government as it fights to regain control of the country from al-Shabab.

In a series of tweets it has said its soldiers, alongside troops from the Somali army, "drove back the attackers who are now on the run with the joint forces in pursuit".

But Amisom has not confirmed the death toll on its side.

Africa Live: More on this and other news stories

Ethiopia is one of five countries contributing troops to the 22,000-strong mission and this is the first time an Ethiopian-run Amisom base has been attacked.

Halgan, 260km (161 miles) north of the capital, Mogadishu, is part of the area of Somalia patrolled by Ethiopian soldiers. Read more from bbc