Somalia, AU condemn ‘Heinous’ Al-Shabaab attack on ATMIS base

In September 2015, at least 50 AU troops were reported by Western military sources to have died when Al-Shabaab fighters overran a military base southwest of Mogadishu.

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Somalia, AU condemn ‘Heinous’ Al-Shabaab attack on ATMIS base

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somalia’s government said it “condemns in the strongest possible terms the heinous attack targeting ATMIS” and appealed to the international community to do more to support Somali forces and ATMIS “effectively combatting terrorism”. 

AU Commission chief Moussa Faki Mahamat said on Twitter he spoke to Burundi’s President Évariste Ndayishimiye to pay his respects for the “sacrifice” of the peacekeepers who lost their lives.
The attack highlights the ongoing security woes in the troubled Horn of Africa country, which is also embroiled in a deep political crisis over delayed elections and faces the threat of famine.

The Burundian source said about 400 Islamist fighters stormed the base after blowing up two car bombs. Burundian soldiers then retreated to a nearby hillside where they continued to fight, supported by drones and helicopters.

“Al-Shabaab gunmen stormed the camp early morning, there were heavy blasts and exchanges of machinegun fire. The Burundians vacated the camp and entered El Baraf village before helicopters arrived providing aerial support,” said one witness, local resident Weliyow Maalim.

“The helicopters fired missiles and heavy machine guns, we saw smoke rising over the camp but we don’t know about the situation exactly,” said another witness, Ahmed Adan.

In September 2015, at least 50 AU troops were reported by Western military sources to have died when Al-Shabaab fighters overran a military base southwest of Mogadishu.

In October 2011, Al-Shabaab claimed to have killed more than 70 Burundian peacekeepers in battle and laid out dozens of bodies in military uniform in one of their strongholds outside Mogadishu.

At the time the African Union said it had lost about 10 soldiers, and dismissed the militants’ claims as a stunt.

Source:/AFP

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