African Union soldiers killed in al-Shabab mortar attack

Two African Union soldiers were killed and a third one injured by an al-Shabab mortar attack Sunday on their base inside the perimeters of Mogadishu’s international airport.

A statement by the head of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Mohamed El-Amine Souef condemned the attack on the facility known as the Halane Base Camp.

It’s believed that a 107mm rocket was used for the attack. At least four mortar rounds were reportedly fired during the attack.

“The heinous attack will not deter us and the Somali security forces from pursuing lasting peace and in Somalia,” Souef said in the statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. “We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to combat terrorism and build a peaceful and prosperous Somalia.”

The statement did not specify the nationality of the soldiers killed, but an AU official told VOA’s Horn of Africa that the soldiers who were killed and the one soldier injured are Ugandans.

“ATMIS extends its deepest sympathies and condolences to the families, friends, and relatives of those who lost their lives and wishes a quick recovery to those injured during the attack,” Souef said.

The AU senior leadership team later visited the site of the blasts.

The al-Shabab militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement posted on one of its websites, the group claimed the mortars killed “white and black officers.”

Despite being driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, the group, from time to time, manages to carry out mortar attacks that hit Mogadishu’s airport, which is a base for the AU as well as some foreign embassies.

Al-Shabab mortars have also targeted residential areas in Mogadishu and have claimed the lives of civilians.