Uganda’s army, the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), says seven of its soldiers were killed in Somalia.
The seven UPDF soldiers were killed in an operation that last lasted three days.
The operation, which involved the Somali National Army (SNA) and African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), was aimed at recapturing the town of Sabiid-Anole from Al-Shabaab militants in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region.
In the same operation codenamed ‘Operation Silent Storm,’ up to 30 Al-Shabaab militants were killed, according to Uganda’s defence ministry.
Defence Ministry and UPDF spokesperson Brigadier General Felix Kulayigye said several weapon caxhes and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were destroyed in the same operation whose human loss he described as “painful but heroic sacrifice in the line of duty.”
The soldiers were part of a coordinated offensive involving the Somali National Army (SNA) and African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) troops.
The operation, codenamed “Operation Silent Storm,” led to the elimination of 30 Al-Shabaab fighters, the recovery of weapons caches, and the dismantling of numerous Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
WHAT ELSE DID UGANDA’S ARMY SAY ON SOMALIA’S OPERATION SILENT STORM IN WHICH SEVEN UPDF OFFICERS WERE KILLED?
The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), in coordination with the Somali National Army (SNA), have successfully dislodged Al-Shabaab terrorists from Sabiid-Anole town in the Lower Shabelle region.
The joint military operation, codenamed “Operation Silent Storm,” followed a three-day siege that forced the terrorists out of their hideouts and underground tunnels.
The offensive led to the full recapture of the town.
During the operation, thirty (30) Al-Shabaab fighters were eliminated in a coordinated combined-arms assault. UPDF teams also recovered a cache of weapons and dismantled numerous Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by the militants.
The AUSSOM Force Commander, Lt Gen Sam Kavuma, commended the joint forces for the successful offensive.
“I commend the bravery of our gallant AUSSOM-UPDF troops and the Somali National Army. This operation is part of our continued effort to degrade Al-Shabaab and fully implement the Somali Transition Plan, which will eventually see security responsibilities handed over to Somali forces,” he noted.
Sector One Commander, Brig Gen Joseph Musoke Ssemwanga, described Sabiid-Anole as a key operational area for Al-Shabaab, SAD! Seven UPDF Soldiers Killed in Somalia During Operation Silent Storm, Operation Silent Storm,
“Since March, this town had become a strategic location for the terrorists to plan attacks, hide weapons and vehicles for VBIEDs, and erect illegal checkpoints to extort civilians,” he said.
Following the operation, AUSSOM and SNA forces are holding the liberated territory and continuing efforts to clear remaining pockets of terrorist presence in Afgooye District, Lower Shabelle.
It should be remembered that in 2023 tens of Ugandan soldiers in Somalia were killed, prompting Museveni to accuse commanders of sleeping on the job, and of being corrupt by sending their bodyguards and personal assistants to the warzone frontline for as low as Shs38m, as reported Here and There.
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