Combined armed infantry and motorised units of thee UPDF have recaptured Buulo Mareer town and the surrounding villages from the al Shabaab terror group.
MOGADISHU, June 1 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Combined armed infantry and motorised units of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) have recaptured Buulo Mareer town and the surrounding villages from the al Shabaab terror group, the army has said.
According to UPDF, the rescue combat forces met resistance from al-Shabaab snipers positioned in storeyed buildings and other pockets of resistance from fleeing remnants.
Somali civilians, who had abandoned the area due to the firefight are now back to their homes.
Brig. Gen. Peter Gaetano Omola, the sector one commander overseeing the operation at Goloweyn tactical base, on Wednesday, said there is normalcy after a thorough combing of the area.
Civilians and travellers were free to carry on with their regular duties.
“We have combed the area to ensure no al-Shabaab element is hiding and the road has been cleared of bombs. Normalcy has returned. People can now go on with their daily work,” Omola said.
“As UPDF serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia remain committed to supporting a Somali-led peace and stability process as mandated by African Union,” he added.
On May 26, 2023, al-Shabaab, using three vehicles laden with bombs and over 800 fighters, attacked Buulo Mareer forward operating base. — NNN-AGENCIES
