Fighters from Al-Shabaab attacked a military base belonging to the African Union Transition Mission, which includes Ugandan troops from the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, located 130 kilometers southwest of the capital Mogadishu. In this context, Deputy Spokesperson of the Uganda Peoples' Defense Forces, Dio Akiki, confirmed that "the attack occurred this Friday morning, but we are waiting for an official communication from the headquarters of the African Union Transition Mission."
Al-Shabaab stated in a declaration that they "carried out suicide attacks and killed 137 soldiers." The mission reported in a statement that "Al-Shabaab attacked the base using a vehicle and suicide attackers, and aerial reinforcements from the mission and its allies destroyed the armed individuals' weapons during their withdrawal."
A Somali army officer from the Lower Shabelle region told Reuters that "the militants attacked the base of the African Union Transition Mission and a nearby base belonging to the Somali army." He noted, "This led to a fierce battle that lasted for hours. All parties, including Al-Shabaab, suffered heavy losses."
