No possible attack on Kampala as army mourns fallen soldiers in Somalia – Daily Monitor

[Deeq A.]

The army has refuted reports of a possible al-Shabaab attack on Kampala just days after four UPDF soldiers under AMISOM were killed and six others injured in battle which left 30 suspected al-Shabaab militants also dead.

The army Spokesman Brigadier Richard Karemire on Monday assured Ugandans of safety as UPDF continues to mourn the loss of their soldiers.

“As we continue to mourn the death of our four gallant soldiers in AMISOM, the public is assured that there is no any possible attack on Kampala as some media houses like …….have alleged. UPDF assure the public that Kampala is safe,” said Brig Karemire on Monday evening.

He further noted that the six soldiers injured in the attack are now stable.

Heavily-armed Al-Shabaab militants attacked an African Union military camp outside Mogadishu on Sunday, killing four Ugandan peacekeepers.

Local sources said a massive blast was heard in the Bulomarer district, around 150 kilometres (93 miles) south of Mogadishu, and fighting broke out after dozens of heavily armed al-Shabaab militants stormed the base.

Brigadier Karemire on Sunday said that 30 al-Shabaab militants had been killed, while the Islamists claimed in a statement to have killed 59 Ugandan soldiers.

The Al-Qaeda linked al-Shabaab was pushed out of the Somali capital in 2011 — and subsequently other towns and cities — by soldiers from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

But the Islamists still hold sway in large parts of the countryside and launch regular gun and bomb attacks on government, military and civilian targets in Mogadishu and ambushes on military convoys and outposts.

East African leaders contributing to the 22,000-strong AMISOM force last month called for the United Nations to reconsider plans to withdraw troops by December 2020, saying the timeline was unrealistic and could lead to a reversal of gains.

 Source: – Daily Monitor