Al-Shabaab claims killing 20 Ugandan peacekeepers in clashes near Somalia’s capital

[Deeq A.]

Al-Shabaab militants say they have killed more than 20 Ugandan soldiers and wounded 34 others during fierce clashes on Friday in the strategic town of Barire, southwest of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu.

The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), operating under the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), have been advancing on Barire for several weeks. The operation, supported by U.S. and Turkish drone strikes, has involved sustained shelling that has reportedly devastated large parts of the town.

According to a statement issued by the Al-Qaeda-linked group on Friday, militants ambushed the peacekeepers shortly after they entered the town, destroying five armoured vehicles in the process. The insurgents said the surprise attack forced the Ugandan forces to retreat after hours of heavy fighting.

Independent sources, including the open-source intelligence account Military Observer, reported similar casualty figures and confirmed the loss of several military vehicles, lending weight to Al-Shabaab’s claims. ATMIS and Somali federal officials have yet to comment or confirm whether Barire has been recaptured.

Footage circulating online this week, reportedly recorded by overhead drones, shows artillery targeting defensive positions believed to be manned by insurgents around Barire. The authenticity of the footage has not been independently verified.

Barire, a strategically vital town due to its road links between Mogadishu and southern Somalia, fell to Al-Shabaab in March during the group’s Ramadan offensive. Since then, the militants have consolidated their control over the area.

Ugandan forces previously recaptured the nearby town of Sabiid last month after intensive shelling and drone strikes. However, progress on the broader offensive has been slow and costly. Sabid itself was briefly retaken by insurgents in a counter-attack late last month.

Military analysts say the push to reclaim Barire, Sabiid, and Awdhegle is critical to forestalling a potential insurgent advance on Mogadishu. All three towns feature key bridge crossings over the Shabelle River, linking the capital to Al-Shabaab strongholds in the southern hinterlands.

Despite weeks of operations, the offensive has so far yielded limited territorial gains, while Ugandan forces have sustained significant casualties. The fighting underscores the resilience of the militant group, which continues to pose a potent threat to Somalia’s fragile security landscape.

somaliguardian

Qaran News