Uganda's top general in Mogadishu after Al-Shabaab raid
Chief of Defence Forces Katumba Wamala addresses the UPDF soldiers early this year. PHOTO | DOMINIC BUKENYA
What you need to know:
Both Uganda and African Union were still tight-lipped on the number of soldiers killed but various accounts continue to give different death figures.
The Chief of Defence Forces, Gen Katumba Wamala, Wednesday flew to Mogadishu to meet UPDF commanders, a day after Somali insurgents attacked a Ugandan army base, killing unspecified number of soldiers.
Lt Gen Charles Angina, his deputy, said Gen Katumba arrived in Mogadishu Wednesday morning to meet commanders on ground.
“He (is there) to assess the security situation and will be coming back as soon as possible,” Lt Gen Angina said.
Both Uganda and African Union were still tight-lipped on the number of soldiers killed but various accounts continue to give different death figures.
Quoting Western sources, CNN Wednesday reported that 45 soldiers, including 20 Ugandan soldiers had been killed and 100 were uncounted for. CNN reported that 20 Ugandan soldiers and 25 Somalis were killed fighting to repulse the attackers on Tuesday morning.
The insurgents claimed on Tuesday they had killed at least 50 soldiers in Janaale, the area under Uganda Battle Group 14 commanded by Frank Kyambadde.
Lt Gen Angina said they were still working with African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) before they release the number of the dead and their identities.
The deputy army spokesperson, Maj Henry Obbo, described both the figures as propaganda by al-Shabaab.
Propaganda “That’s al-Shabaab’s method of work. They exaggerate figures in the battlefield to create a false situation. They are just doing propaganda,” he said.
Military sources in Kampala say nine were killed and five injured. "We lost nine and five were injured. But the deaths might increase because these injuries are serious and might end up into deaths," the source said.
Sources in Somalia say the attackers could be part of the jihadists fleeing Ethiopian troops in Gedo region and are now moving towards areas controlled by Ugandan forces in the south of Mogadishu.
Al-Shabaab has stepped up hit-and-run raids as a tactic to fight Amisom.
