UPDF troops under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have in coordination with the Somali National Army (SNA) successfully dislodged Al-Shabaab terrorists from Sabiid-Anole town in the Lower Shabelle region.
The joint military operation, codenamed “Operation Silent Storm,” followed a three-day siege that forced the terrorists out of their hideouts and underground tunnels.
The offensive led to the full recapture of the town.
During the operation, over 30 Al-Shabaab fighters were eliminated in a coordinated combined-arms assault.
UPDF said its teams also recovered a cache of weapons and dismantled numerous Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by the militants.
The AUSSOM Force Commander, Lt Gen Sam Kavuma, commended the joint forces for the successful offensive.
“I commend the bravery of our gallant AUSSOM-UPDF troops and the Somali National Army. This operation is part of our continued effort to degrade Al-Shabaab and fully implement the Somali Transition Plan, which will eventually see security responsibilities handed over to Somali forces,” he noted.
Sector One Commander, Brig Gen Joseph Musoke Ssemwanga, described Sabiid-Anole as a key operational area for Al-Shabaab.
“Since March, this town had become a strategic location for the terrorists to plan attacks, hide weapons and vehicles for VBIEDs, and erect illegal checkpoints to extort civilians,” he said.
Following the operation, AUSSOM and SNA forces are holding the liberated territory and continuing efforts to clear remaining pockets of terrorist presence in Afgooye District, Lower Shabelle.
This operation is part of a broader effort to degrade and eliminate Al-Shabaab terrorists from the Lower Shabelle region and Somalia as a whole.
