Seven Ugandan peacekeepers killed in joint anti-Al-Shabaab operation in Somalia
Source: Hiiraan Online, Monday June 23, 2025
FILE – A Ugandan army officer addresses soldiers deployed under the African Union Stabilization Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) during a field briefing in Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Seven Ugandan peacekeepers serving under the African Union mission in Somalia were killed during a joint military operation to retake a strategic town in Lower Shabelle from Al-Shabaab militants, officials confirmed Monday.
The soldiers were part of Operation Silent Storm, a three-day offensive led by the African Union Stabilization Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and the Somali National Army (SNA) in the Sabiid-Canoole area, approximately 90 kilometres southwest of Mogadishu.
Uganda’s Ministry of Defence spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Felix Kulayigye, described the incident as a “painful but heroic sacrifice,” confirming the deaths. “Unfortunately, we lost seven soldiers during the battle,” he said.The operation resulted in the killing of at least 30 Al-Shabaab fighters and the recovery of significant arms caches. The joint forces also dismantled extensive networks of underground tunnels used to store explosives and coordinate attacks, military officials said.
“This mission was critical in degrading Al-Shabaab’s ability to launch suicide bombings and move weapons across the region,” said AUSSOM Force Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma. “It is a significant step toward implementing the Somali Transition Plan.”
Brig. Gen. Joseph Musoke Ssemwanga, Uganda’s Sector One Commander, described Sabiid-Canoole as a logistics and planning hub for Al-Shabaab since March. “Militants had used the area to plan vehicle-borne improvised explosive attacks and to extort civilians through illegal checkpoints,” he said.
Military sources confirmed that follow-up operations are underway in the Afgooye district to root out the remaining pockets of militants.
The bodies of the fallen peacekeepers will be returned to Uganda for burial with full military honours. Uganda remains one of the largest troop-contributing countries in Somalia under the African Union mandate and has played a frontline role in the country’s stabilization since 2007.
AUSSOM currently fields 11,146 troops in Somalia, though its leadership reported in April that it required at least 8,000 more to meet mission demands amid rising militant activity.