On 1 April 2018, Al-Shabaab fighters attacked an

AMISOM The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was a Multinational force formed by the African Union. The operation deployed to Somalia soon after the Islamic Courts Union was deposed by troops from Ethiopia during War in Somalia (2006–2009), ...

base in Bulo Marer in the

Lower Shebelle Lower Shabelle (, , , ) is an administrative region ('' gobol'') in southern Somalia. Geography Lower Shabelle is bordered by the regions of Banaadir, Middle Shabelle (Shabeellaha Dhexe), Hiran, Bay, Middle Jubba (Jubbada Dhexe) and by the ...

region of

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

Attack

Two trucks filled with explosives blew up at the

military camp in Bula Marer, 110 km south of

Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...

. Then about 100 Al-Shabaab militants attacked the base with gunfire. Another suicide bomber rammed his vehicle packed with explosives into a military convoy carrying Ugandan soldiers from Golweyn. According to the Deputy Governor of Lower Shabelle region Ali Nur Mohamed,

troops destroyed the vehicle with a

rocket propelled grenade A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), also known colloquially as a rocket launcher, is a shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon that launches rockets equipped with a shaped-charge explosive warhead. Most RPGs can be carried by an individual soldier, ...

. The militants also attacked a third

base in Barawe with mortars and launched infantry attacks on two Somali government positions in

Qoryoley Qoryoley (, , ) is a town in the Lower Shebelle region of the South West State of Somalia. It is located 123 kilometers southwest of the capital city Mogadishu and 23 kilometers west of the coastal city of Merca. History Qoryoley was named afte ...

and Mashallay. These attacks were reportedly intended to distract the troops in those camps from supporting the forces in Bulo Marer. Witnesses said Al-Shabaab terrorists attacked civilians and set houses and shops on fire after they raided the military base. Ali Nur Mohamed told VOA Somali that

and Somali troops repulsed all attacks.

Casualties

The death toll was not clear.

Uganda People's Defense Force The Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), previously known as the National Resistance Army, is the armed forces of Uganda. From 2007 to 2011, the International Institute for Strategic Studies estimated the UPDF had a total strength of 40,000–4 ...

spokesman Richard Karemire said four Ugandan peacekeepers were killed and six

troops injured. Thirty Al-Shabaab terrorists were killed according to his reports. Al-Shabaab's military operations spokesperson Abdiaziz Abu Mus'ab said that the group lost only 14 fighters and killed at least 59

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...

soldiers. Abdi Nur Hashi, a Somali military colonel stationed near the base, told

the Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

that as many as 46 Ugandan troops died in the attack. One Somali soldier died and several others were injured.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:African Union base in Bulo Marer, 2018 2018 murders in Somalia Al-Shabaab (militant group) attacks April 2018 in Africa Mass murder in 2018 Terrorist incidents in Somalia in 2018 Somali Civil War (2009–present) April 2018 crimes in Africa Conflicts in 2018 21st-century mass murder in Somalia Battles in 2018 Lower Shabelle Battles of the Somali Civil War (2009–present) Battles involving al-Shabaab (militant group) Foreign relations of the African Union Attacks on military installations in 2018 Attacks on military installations in Somalia Grenade attacks in Africa