Burundi says 10 AU peacekeepers killed in Somalia attack
Army says 25 other soldiers were wounded in Tuesday’s raid on a military camp in central Somalia
04 May 2022 - 22:34
byKatharine Houreld
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AU peacekeepers stand next to an armoured personnel carrier in Mogadishu, Somalia, April 27 2022. Picture: FEISAL OMAR/REUTERS
Nairobi — Burundi’s military said on Wednesday that 10 of its AU peacekeepers were killed in an attack on their base in Somalia, while a security source in the region and a Mogadishu-based source said dozens were dead.
Burundi state television quoted army spokesperson Floribert Biyereke saying that 25 other soldiers were wounded in Tuesday’s raid on a camp near the village of El Baraf in central Somalia, while 20 “Al-Shabaab terrorists” were also killed.
The security source in the region said several follow-up operations were going on after Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militants overran the camp the previous day. The total number of casualties was not yet clear, he said, but “dozens” of soldiers were killed and about 20 were evacuated with wounds.
The AU and troop-contributing countries typically do not release casualty numbers after attacks. Neither Burundi nor the AU responded to requests for comment on casualties.
Somalia is preparing to hold a long-delayed presidential election in May. Political rivalries have split the security services, distracting them from the fight against the Al-Shabaab insurgency and sometimes spilling into gun battles between rival factions.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Burundi says 10 AU peacekeepers killed in Somalia attack
Army says 25 other soldiers were wounded in Tuesday’s raid on a military camp in central Somalia
Nairobi — Burundi’s military said on Wednesday that 10 of its AU peacekeepers were killed in an attack on their base in Somalia, while a security source in the region and a Mogadishu-based source said dozens were dead.
Burundi state television quoted army spokesperson Floribert Biyereke saying that 25 other soldiers were wounded in Tuesday’s raid on a camp near the village of El Baraf in central Somalia, while 20 “Al-Shabaab terrorists” were also killed.
The security source in the region said several follow-up operations were going on after Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab militants overran the camp the previous day. The total number of casualties was not yet clear, he said, but “dozens” of soldiers were killed and about 20 were evacuated with wounds.
The AU and troop-contributing countries typically do not release casualty numbers after attacks. Neither Burundi nor the AU responded to requests for comment on casualties.
Somalia is preparing to hold a long-delayed presidential election in May. Political rivalries have split the security services, distracting them from the fight against the Al-Shabaab insurgency and sometimes spilling into gun battles between rival factions.
Reuters
Al-Shabaab claims attack on AU military camp in Somalia
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