African Union mission in Somalia says it was attacked by Al-Shabaab
In another attack by the Al-Shabaab group, a military base belonging to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia was targeted, according to reports.
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In this photo of Saturday, May 26, 2012, and released by the African Union-United Nations Support Team, Ugandan soldiers serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) are seen on the back of a military truck in the town of Afgoye the west of the Somali capital Mogadishu as they prepare to deploy south of the town on the road to Merka (AP)
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said on Friday that militants from the al-Shabaab group attacked its military base in the country's southwest.
In a statement, the mission said that "at around 5 a.m. today, ATMIS Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Buulo Mareer, approximately 120 km [75 miles] southwest of Mogadishu in Lower Shabelle region was attacked by Al-Shabaab militants using Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) and suicide bombers."
The soldiers were able to destroy the militants' weapons and force them to retreat with reinforcements from the ATMIS aviation unit and allies, according to the mission, which added that it remains committed to counter-terrorism and will continue to work with the Somali government and international partners to secure the country from militant groups.
Later in the day, the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) announced that a Ugandan contingent had been attacked by militants at an ATMIS base. "There was an early morning attack on our troops in bulo-marer-Somalia by elements of Alshabaab. We are cross-checking with African Union Transition Mission in Somalia headquarters for more details," the UPDF tweeted.
Early last month, the government forces of Somalia neutralized 14 militants of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group Al-Shabaab, who tried to attack a Somali army base in the region of Bay, Mustaqbal Media news outlet reported on April 1, citing sources.
The engagement took place 4.3 miles south of the city of Baidoa, the report said, confirming that the Somali troops managed to neutralize all militants that took part in the attack on the army camp.
