Fifty-four Ugandan soldiers were killed during the fighting for the ATMIS military base in Somalia, which was attacked by militants from the radical Islamist group Al-Shabaab*, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said.
"Our soldiers demonstrated remarkable resilience and reorganized themselves, resulting in the recapture of the base. We discovered the lifeless bodies of fifty-four fallen soldiers, including a Commander," the Ugandan president wrote on social media.
On May 26, the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia reported that its military base in the south-west of the country was attacked by Al-Shabaab militants. The Uganda People's Defense Forces reported on social media that a Ugandan contingent was attacked by militants at the ATMIS base.
The radical Islamist group Al-Shabaab (the Young Mujahideen Movement) based in Somalia has close ties to the international terrorist organization Al-Qaeda*. It is waging an armed struggle against the central Government of Somalia and hinders the humanitarian activities of the UN.
*Terrorist organizations banned in Russia and many other countries