- Somalia military operation: casualties
- Al-Shabab claims responsibility
- UAE and Bahrain soldiers killed
A military operation in Somalia has claimed the lives of at least five individuals, including four Emirati soldiers and a Bahraini military officer.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) authorities announced on Sunday that the attack on a training mission at a military base in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, was claimed by Al-Shabab, an armed group linked to Al-Qaeda.
Saturday’s assault targeted personnel stationed at the General Gordon military base. Information regarding the extent of the casualties remains limited. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of Somalia extended condolences to the United Arab Emirates.
Initially, the Ministry of Defence of the United Arab Emirates declared three of its soldiers and one Bahraini soldier had been killed in a “terrorist act,” adding that two others had sustained injuries.
It further stated that one of the injured had passed away on Sunday upon arrival in Abu Dhabi.
Emirati Diplomat Condemns Attack
A senior Emirati diplomat, Anwar Gargash, extended condolences to the deceased and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
Gargash wrote on X, “No treacherous act shall impede our steadfast commitment to advancing the cause of security and safety while simultaneously countering all manifestations of extremism and terrorism.”
“Unlock your financial potential with free Webull shares in the UK.”
Bahrain, a Gulf island nation located near the Saudi Arabian coast, did not immediately acknowledge the attack.
In an online statement, Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the assault and claimed that it resulted in the deaths of numerous Emirati military personnel. The UAE, a federation comprising seven sheikhdoms situated on the Arabian Peninsula, was labelled an “enemy” of Islamic law due to its support provided to the Somali government in its conflict against the armed group.
Al-Shabab’s Persistent Threat in Somalia
Al-Shabab, meaning “youth” in Arabic, originated from the post-1991 Somali civil war chaos. Previously, the Al-Qaeda affiliate ruled Mogadishu. An African Union (AU) force aided by the US and other nations drove the gang from the capital.
Subsequent to that period, Al-Shabab has engaged in conflict with both the federal government of the country and the peacekeeping mission mandated by the AU in an effort to institute a new regime in accordance with its understanding of Islamic law.
Consistently, the organisation carries out acts of bombing in densely populated areas throughout the nation.
Multiple attacks in a crowded Mogadishu market on Tuesday killed dozens and injured over twenty.
Nairobi provides manpower and supplies to Al-Shabab, which has attacked in Kenya, where the African Union army is stationed.
In recent years, the UAE has increased its investments in East African ports, including the breakaway Somaliland region of Somalia.
The protection of Somalia is consistent with the Emirates’ broader security concerns in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden. Given Houthi militants’ attacks on Red Sea ships, Somali piracy has resurfaced after several years.
In 2019, the group claimed an attack that slain an Al-Shabab employee of Dubai’s P&O Ports.
The inquiry heard Nicola Sturgeon call Boris Johnson a ‘clown’
