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Explosives three times as powerful as the bomb used in the 1998 US embassy attack in Nairobi were used against Kenyan troops last week, the army says.

A Kenyan contingent of the African Union force in Somalia was attacked by al-Shabab militants in el-Ade, in the south of the country.

Kenya has not said how many soldiers died, but al-Shabab puts the figure at more than 100.

The army has asked people to be patient while it investigates what happened.

In 1998 more than 200 people died when al-Qaeda attacked the US embassy in Kenya's capital, in one of the first operations launched by the jihadist group.

Kenya's Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Samson Mwathe told journalists in Nairobi to imagine the damage that "three of those in that small defensive position" could cause.

The BBC reports from the capital Nairobi that anxiety and anger had gripped the country in the wake of last week's attack in Somalia and Gen. Mwathe may be psychologically preparing the country for news of a large loss of life.

The armed forces chief said that given the size of the explosion, DNA tests might be required for the identification of some of those who died.

But while Kenyans wait for answers, Gen. Mwathe has said that people should "exercise patience and support out families" as an investigation is carried out.

Last week, an al-Shabab official told the BBC that its fighters had attacked the base after morning prayers, starting with a car bomb before storming the facility.

"We took control of the base after one hour of fierce fighting," he said.

Al-Shabab was ousted from the capital, Mogadishu, in August 2011, but still has a presence in large areas of southern Somalia and often stages attacks across the country.

Kenya sent troops into Somalia to help the government battle al-Shabab in 2011.