Photo/Courtesy of Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga
Ugandans especially those whose sons and daughters are on a mission in Somalia have been left guessing as Al-Shabaab terror group claims raiding the Uganda People’s Defence Forces -UPDF base and killing 137 soldiers.
Al-Shabaab, in a statement released on Friday morning it claimed that, it had successfully ransacked UPDF base at Buula-Mareer town, in Islamic Walaayah of Lower Shabeele.
“By the grace of Allaah, the Mujahideen successfully overran the base, securing its permitters and taking control of its defence post. Initial reports from the battlefield indicate the death of 137 crusaders, destruction and seizure of military vehicles and the capture of the base’s cache of weapons and ammunitions,” Al-Shabaab said.
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Both UPDF and the African Transmission Mission in Somalia- ATMIS have confirmed that an attack happened but have remained cagey of the actual number of deaths or injuries. UPDF Spokesperson, Brig Felix Kulayigye, on Saturday issued a statement saying the force had dispatched a team of military leadership led by its land forces commander Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanda to ascertain the circumstances under which the attack happened and devise the way forward.
“UPDF Condemns the attack on her gallant soldiers by Al-Shabaab terrorists, nonetheless, this will not deter our commitment to ATMIS mandate of ensuring African peace and stability,” Brig Kulayigye said.
The Ugandan military said all official communications regarding the attack and other operations of the forces in Somalia remains ATMIS mandate.