Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF), troops serving under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), in coordination with the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF), on Monday, August 4, neutralised a Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) in Bariire town, southwest of Mogadishu.
According to the Director of Defence Public Information, Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye, the incident occurred during the ongoing second-phase operation codenamed Silent Storm.
In a statement, he said the hostile vehicle, a Toyota Surf packed with explosives, was intercepted before it could reach its intended target. “The joint forces eliminated both the VBIED and the Al-Shabaab operatives on board,” he said.
The Defence Spokesman said Al-Shabaab has increasingly resorted to using VBIEDs, roadside improvised explosive devices (RSIEDs), and landmines in attempts to destabilise liberated areas, disrupt AUSSOM and SNAF operations, and terrorise civilians using public roads.
Despite these tactics, AUSSOM-UPDF and SNAF forces continue to sustain operational momentum, inflicting heavy losses on the extremist group and steadily reclaiming towns previously under its control.
Gen Kulayigye noted that the military operation remains underway in the region to track down and neutralise the remaining Al-Shabaab elements and their collaborators. AUSSOM reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of residents in Bariire and surrounding areas.
Joint operations have intensified across the Lower Shabelle region to further degrade Al-Shabaab’s presence and liberate the remaining areas still under its influence.