Al-Shabaab raids AU forces' base in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militants on Monday raided a military base manned by the African Union Mission Forces, officials said, in the latest attempt by the terror to disrupt peace and stability which has been graciously achieved by the troops, who have been in the mission for almost two decades.

Officials said suspected members of the group attacked Bula-Marer military base which is manned by the Uganda People's Defence Forces [UPDF] in the southern part of the country, triggering a heavy gunfight which lasted for several hours according to military officials who spoke to the reporters.

The militants waged the attack using mortar shells before opening fire at the UPDF troops, resulting in a sporadic gunfight in the region. It is not clear how many mortar shells the militants opened but military officials estimated the number to be around seven, but would not immediately confirm it.

But the militants encountered resistance from the alert UPDF troops and suffered immense losses, the military said without giving the exact number of those who were caught in the crossfire. Survivors vanished to the nearby bushes and the military is pursuing them, officials added.

The UPDF team which is fond of updating such incidents is yet to issue a statement over the same but the Somali military said that no military official was killed or injured during the encounter. Those who died were paraded by the AU Mission Forces, added the officials privy to the encounter.

It's not the first time the UPDF troops are foiling an attack by Al-Shabaab targeting their base in Somalia. In April, the troops foiled a would-be deadly attack at Barawe military base after detonating a Vehicle-Born Improvised Device just at the entrance which was being driven to the compound.

The incident came over two months after the militants had succeeded in raiding the El-Salini base which is manned by the Somali National Army [SNA], not far from a UPDF base. Over 25 government soldiers died according to police records in Somalia, which were unveiled moments after the attack.

Almost degraded by joint military operations, the Al-Shabaab militants have been targeting military bases and police checkpoints besides attacking senior government officials and civilians linked to the government. But in the process, several innocent civilians have often been killed by the militants.

The Ugandan troops first came to Somalia in 2008 and are credited for flushing the militants out of the capital Mogadishu. The 2011 encounter which also saw Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] also participating remains one of the best achievements of the AU Mission Forces in Somalia.

The latest incident took place in Lower Shebelle, one of the regions which is considered an Al-Shabaab stronghold. However, the Somali National Army recently announced victory in the region after killing dozens of militants in several strategic villages which are now under the control of the government.

GAROWE ONLINE