Twelve Ugandan soldiers who served as African Union peacekeepers were killed when militants attacked their base in Somalia on Tuesday, a Ugandan military spokesman said on Thursday.
The statement suggests a lower death toll than the 70 claimed by al Shabaab, which carried out Tuesday’s attack.
Uganda’s army spokesman Lt Col Paddy Ankunda on his twitter confirmed the effect of Tuesday’s al-Shabab attack on an African Union base in Somalia in which he says 12 Ugandan soldiers died.
Twelve soldiers died, ten are landing this morning, two more to follow
— Paddy Ankunda (@PaddyAnkunda1) September 3, 2015
The AU peacekeeping mission, known as AMISOM, has not yet released casualty figures for Tuesday’s attack, which came roughly a year after al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane was killed in a U.S. air strike.
The head of Uganda’s armed forces General Katumba Wamala has been visiting the Ugandan troops at the African Union base which was attacked by al-Shabab on Tuesday.
"I am convinced that the boys put up a good fight,” said Gen.Wamala. He thanked the troops for the high morale they have maintained. #AMISOM
— AMISOM (@amisomsomalia) September 3, 2015
The bodies of the soldiers who died in Tuesday’s al-Shabab attack in Somalia were received in Uganda.
Return of the UPDF fallen heroes in pictures – @damalie27 #SomaliaAttack pic.twitter.com/PRLlDCOYYm
— Urban Television (@UrbanTVUganda) September 3, 2015
Sombre mood as soldiers carry caskets of their fallen colleague – @damalie27 #SomaliaAttack pic.twitter.com/c9PKSVmLP1
— Urban Television (@UrbanTVUganda) September 3, 2015
