Al-shabaab gunman kills three Kenyan peacekeepers in Somalia

Three Kenyan peacekeepers have been shot dead by an Al-Shabaab militant in Somalia.

Confirming the incident, a Kenyan military official told Al Jazeera that the gunman entered a military base in Somalia and opened fire, killing the three and injuring five others before he was shot dead on the spot.

The terror group also confirmed the responsibility for the attack which took place at the Sarira Forward Operating Base in the Lower Jubba region of southern Somalia near the border with Kenya.

"We believe the lone wolf was testing the ground for more such incidents. We must be more careful and vigilant. As we near the festivities, we need to be very vigilant of our surroundings. The terror threat is still rife and all measures should be taken to tame any plan," the unnamed Kenyan military official said.

Following the incident, KDF officers have now urged Kenyans to be vigilant during the Christmas and New Year period.

"It is at this time the militants know we might let our guard down as we watch," the KDF officer said.

In 2010, at least 76 people were killed when al-Shabab went after a rugby club and a restaurant in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, where customers were watching the World Cup final on giant screens.

Kenyan troops, who are deployed to Somalia under the banner of the African Union, are active along the border with Somalia.

Peacekeepers from Burundi and Uganda are based in or near the Somali capital of Mogadishu, the seat of the federal government.