MOGADISHU [SMN] – AU troops along with Somali soldiers have successfully pursued the fleeing Al-Shabaab fighters involved in the ATMIS FOB attack in Buulo Mareer town in the Lower Shabelle region on Friday.
“A substantial number of the terrorists have been eliminated. The joint force has also retrieved multiple weapons looted from the FOB,’ said ATMIS on Tuesday in a statement.
The base in Bulo Marer, 120 kilometers (75 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu “came under Al-Shabaab attack,” targeting Ugandan forces of ATMIS contingent.
Al-Shabaab claimed it killed 137 Ugandan soldiers and some captured alive as PoWs after the militants had overrun the base. Ugandan is yet to release the casualty numbers.
ATMIS said it will continue working closely with the Federal Government of Somalia, Federal Member States, and international partners to secure the Horn of Africa country.
Despite the gains by SNA forces backed by local clan militias, Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate continued to strike with lethal force against civilian and military targets.
Recently, UN chief Antonio Guterres said that 2022 was the deadliest year for civilians in Somalia since 2017, largely as a result of the Al-Shabaab attacks, mainly in the capital.
© Shabelle Media Network
