On 1 April 2018, Al-Shabaab fighters attacked an AMISOM base in Bulo Marer in the Lower Shebelle region of Somalia.[1]

2018 African Union base attack in Bulo Marer
Part of Part of Somali Civil War (2009–present)
Date1 April 2018
Location
Bulo Marer, Somalia
Result
  • Losses on both sides
  • Attacks repulsed[3]
Belligerents
Al-Shabaab

AMISOM

Somalia Federal Government of Somalia[2]
Strength
~100[4] Unknown
Casualties and losses
14 killed (Al-Shabaab claim)[5]
30 killed (Ugandan army claim)[6]

:
4 killed, 6 wounded (Ugandan army claim)[6]
46 killed (local report)[2]
59 killed (Al-Shabaab claim)[5]

Somalia:
1 killed, several wounded (local report)[2]

Attack

Two trucks filled with explosives blew up at the AMISOM military camp in Bula Marer, 110 km south of Mogadishu. Then about 100 Al-Shabaab militants attacked the base with gunfire.[4][7] Another suicide bomber rammed his vehicle packed with explosives into a military convoy carrying Ugandan soldiers from Golweyn.[8] According to the Deputy Governor of Lower Shabelle region Ali Nur Mohamed, AMISOM troops destroyed the vehicle with a rocket propelled grenade.[3] The militants also attacked a third AMISOM base in Barawe with mortars and launched infantry attacks on two Somali government positions in Qoryoley and Mashallay. These attacks were reportedly intended to distract the troops in those camps from supporting the forces in Bulo Marer.[7] Witnesses said Al-Shabaab terrorists attacked civilians and set houses and shops on fire after they raided the military base.[2]

Ali Nur Mohamed told VOA Somali that AMISOM and Somali troops repulsed all attacks.[3]

Casualties

The death toll was not clear. Uganda People's Defense Force spokesman Richard Karemire said four Ugandan peacekeepers were killed and six AMISOM troops injured. Thirty Al-Shabaab terrorists were killed according to his reports.[6] Al-Shabaab's military operations spokesperson Abdiaziz Abu Mus'ab said that the group lost only 14 fighters and killed at least 59 African Union soldiers.[5] Abdi Nur Hashi, a Somali military colonel stationed near the base, told the Guardian that as many as 46 Ugandan troops died in the attack. One Somali soldier died and several others were injured.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Deadly bomb and gun attack hit African Union base in Somalia". mareeg.com. Archived from the original on 2018-04-01. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  2. ^ a b c d e Burke, Jason (2018-04-01). "Al-Shabaab attack kills dozens of Ugandan soldiers in Somalia". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  3. ^ a b c Maruf, Harun (2018-04-02). "Somalia: Extremists Attack African Union Base in Southern Somalia". Voice of America (Washington, DC). Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  4. ^ a b "Al-Shabaab-Rebellen töten Soldaten der Afrikanischen Union". www.t-online.de. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  5. ^ a b c "African Union: 30 al-Shabab fighters killed in Somalia attack". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  6. ^ a b c "Al-Shabaab attack kills 4 Ugandan troops in Somalia". Anadolu Agency. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  7. ^ a b Maruf, Harun. "Extremists Attack African Union Base in Southern Somalia". VOA. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
  8. ^ "Somalia: Al-Shabaab raids AU military base, kills 59". Garowe Online. Retrieved 2018-04-02.
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