AMISOM 'kills al-Shabaab commanders' in Somalia

ADDIS ABABA

The African Union mission in Somalia says its forces, along with the National Army, have killed a number of al-Shabaab commanders over the past week.

The Joint Forces of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISON) and the Somali National Army say the deaths took place in the Lower Shebelle Region, AMISOM said on Tuesday.

“This brings to seven, the total number of al-Shabaab commanders killed by the allied forces in one week,” it said in a statement.

AMISOM said it launched a massive attack on an al-Shabaab base in Janaale this week and killed six other senior members, including one commander, one regional head, a chief trainer and an explosives expert.

“On April 2 the allied forces killed also one other al-Shabaab commander … Abdirashir Bugdube,” AMISOM said.

Commander General Sam Okiding said that the militants were resorting to more “hit-and-run” tactics to avoid direct contact with AMISOM and the Somali National Army.

Last September, al-Shabaab militants used a car bomb to attack Lower Shabelle’s Janaale military base, killing at least 12 Ugandan AMISOM troops.

AMISOM was established by the AU Peace and Security Council in January 2007. The UN Security Council later approved its mandate, which, among other things, includes supporting the Somali government, training Somali security forces and combating al-Shabaab.