Al Shabaab kill 4, injure 8 UPDF soldiers

Kampala

The Somali militants, al Shabaab, yesterday attacked the presidential palace in Mogadishu and killed four Ugandan peacekeepers.

The attackers also injured eight Ugandans in the bomb attack against UPDF soldiers who are guarding the presidential residence. “They killed four of our soldiers this morning [yesterday] in the attack on Villa Somalia,” the army spokesperson, Lt. Col. Felix Kulayigye said yesterday.

The attack brings the total number of Ugandan soldiers killed in Somalia to 30. The attack comes a week after al Shabaab pledged to fight a “massive, final war” against the AU troops. But the spokesperson of African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), Maj. Barigye Ba-Hoku, told Daily Monitor from Mogadishu yesterday that the AU forces were in control.

The killing of Ugandan peacekeepers followed six days of intense fighting that has left 80 people dead and 150 injured. The attack drew a retaliatory offensive from government forces, sparking off an intense battle involving gun, mortar and artillery fire.

All roads in Mogadishu were yesterday closed as fighting between government forces and al Shabaab went on. The spokesperson of the Islamist militants claimed victory after the attack, saying they had killed the “invading Christian forces” at the presidential palace.

Week long fighting
On Tuesday al Shabaab attacked Muna Hotel in Mogadishu and killed 80 people including six Members of Parliament. They have waged a three- year war against the western-backed government of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed with the hope of overthrowing it and replacing it with an Islamic government governed on the principles of Sharia law.

At least 6,000 Ugandan and Burundian troops make up the bulk of the peacekeeping force, which patrols a safe zone of 15 city blocks that the government controls in Mogadishu. The mission protects such key installations as the airport, seaport and presidential villa. Other African countries like Guinea, Nigeria and Djibouti pledged troops but have not yet delivered on their promise.