Gen Mugozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ugandan Army, has announced that the country’s troops have killed more than 50 Al Shabaab militants operating in the Sabiid-Sinole area of Somalia.
Although Gen Muhoozi made this statement, he contradicted the Ugandan military spokesman, Gen Maj Flex Kulayigye, who had announced that 30 Al Shabaab militants were killed and that the Ugandan military had lost seven soldiers in the battle. Efforts are also being made to bring their bodies back to Uganda.
The fierce fighting took place in the Sabiid-Sinole area of the Al Shabaab stronghold in Lower Shabelle region. The attack was carried out by the Ugandan army, which they had dubbed “Operation Silent Storm.”
Gen Muhoozi stressed that they were doing a great job, and that they were receiving little support from the international community.
He said: “We captured Sabiid-Sinole another day in Somalia. We killed 50 Al Shabaab terrorists in three days of intense fighting. While the world is complaining about the calm, they are also proud that they are fighting Al Shabaab in Somalia. We are doing a great job, with little support from the international community.”
Gen Muhoozi also said he is waiting to see if the peacekeepers will achieve what their troops have done in the past 18 years, when they leave the peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
