The Ugandan government said on Saturday (June 3) that 54 Ugandan peacekeepers were killed in an attack on a military base in Somalia last week by the militant group al Shabaab.

The Ugandan government said on Saturday (June 3) that 54 Ugandan peacekeepers were killed in an attack on a military base in Somalia last week by the militant group al Shabaab. According to a report by the news agency Reuters early Sunday, al-Shabaab militants targeted the base last Friday (May 26) in Bulamarer, around 130 kilometres southwest of Somalia's capital city Mogadishu. The base belonged to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said that the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) had since recaptured the base from the militant group. “Our soldiers demonstrated remarkable resilience and reorganised themselves, resulting in the recapture of the base by Tuesday,” President Museveni added. Last week, Museveni said that there were some Ugandan casualties but did not give further details about the attack on troops, who are serving in the ATMIS. ALSO READ | Al Shabaab militants attack officials' house in Somalia, 10 dead On May 26, the ATMIS said in a statement that al Shabaab hit the base using car and suicide bombers and that airborne reinforcement from the mission and its allies destroyed the militants' weaponry as they withdrew. The militant group also targeted an adjacent base belonging to the Somali military, an officer told Reuters from the Lower Shabelle region. Seventeen killed in clash between Somalia army, al Shabaab Just days after the attack on the ATMIS military base, al-Shabaab attacked another base in Masagawa on Tuesday (May 30), killing 17 people. Captain Abdullahi Mohamed, a military officer in Masagawa, confirmed the attack and said 12 al-Shabaab militants were killed, but he did not know how many troops were dead. On the other hand, Hussein Nur, a resident of Masagawa, told Reuters, "I have seen 17 dead people, including the attackers and the attacked. The fighting has moved into the forest. The town is calm now and under government control." On Twitter, the Somalia army said it had prevented an attack on the town itself, and killed al-Shabaab fighters, but did not say how many. Al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab has been fighting since 2006 to topple Somalia's central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic Sharia law. The group has launched attacks against hotels, military bases and government establishments despite a relatively successful government pushback. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Fifty-four Ugandan soldiers killed by al-Shabaab militants in attack on military base in Somalia

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Fifty-four Ugandan soldiers killed by al-Shabaab militants in attack on military base in Somalia