Somalia: Ethiopian peacekeepers victims of 2 terrorist ambushes
Two deadly ambushes by the terrorist group Al-Shabab against Ethiopian peacekeepers in Somalia have caused significant human losses. The clashes took place in the southwest region of the country.
On Sunday, Somalia was the scene of violent clashes between Ethiopian peacekeepers of the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and Al-Shabab terrorists. Two ambushes, set up by extremists linked to Al-Qaeda, left the southwestern region of the country bloody.
The first assault targeted an Ethiopian military convoy en route to Wajid district in the Bakool region. Simultaneously, a second convoy was heading towards Huddur, capital of Bakool province. Both attacks were confirmed by official sources, although details remain scarce due to the anonymity required for media contacts.
More than 55 terrorists neutralized
A security official in Huddur revealed on condition of anonymity that Ethiopian troops, with the support of Somali soldiers, responded vigorously to Al-Shabab terrorists, eliminating more than 55 of them in a counter attack. -attack. However, he did not specify the number of Ethiopian soldiers killed or injured, suggesting that serious losses had been suffered on both sides.
Local witnesses reported hearing heavy exchanges of fire between the terrorists and Ethiopian security forces. The Al-Shabab group claimed, through its propaganda, to have killed 167 Ethiopian soldiers and captured several others alive. However, these figures are not verifiable and correspond to the terrorist group’s tendency to exaggerate its successes.
Note that Ethiopian soldiers operate under the command of ATMIS, but Addis Ababa also deploys a significant contingent of independent AU troops in Somalia.
The clashes come just hours after the Somali government announced it had eliminated at least 30 Al-Shabab terrorists in a cooperative operation with clan militias in the central state of Galmudug. This region has recently been the scene of terrorist attacks, including an assassination attempt on the Galmudug state president and bombings.
