AFGOYE, Somalia – The Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab fighters have attacked the AU military base in the Lower Shabelle region, which borders Mogadishu, the Somali capital.
A face-to-face battle erupted following the ambush attack, which raged on for several hours between the attackers and the African Union soldiers, who managed to defend their camp.
Al-Shabaab claimed it inflicted losses on the ATMIS forces, but there was no independent verification of the claims. The attack comes amid intensified military operation in Somalia.
Lower Shabelle is the most militarized region in Somalia, where Al-Shabaab has a long-time presence, facing the US military that mans the drone base in Baladdogle airfield.
In May, Al-Shabaab overrun an ATMIS base in Bula-Marer town, which houses Ugandan troops serving under the AU mission. As many as 57 UPDF soldiers have lost their lives.
UPDF makes up the bulk of the African Union Transition Mission [ATMIS], and they have been operating in Mogadishu and Lower Shabelle region since their deployment in 2007.
