Ugandan Officer Killed in Somalia Roadside Bomb Attack

A Ugandan military officer was killed and six soldiers were injured in Somalia when their convoy hit a roadside bomb, allegedly planted by the Islamist group al Shabaab. Uganda's military confirmed the incident, which occurred 70 km southwest of Mogadishu. This attack highlights the ongoing conflict involving al Shabaab in Somalia.

A Ugandan military officer serving in Somalia was killed and six other soldiers were wounded when their convoy triggered a roadside bomb, Uganda's military stated on Monday, attributing the attack to Islamist group al Shabaab.

Uganda, with around 5,000 troops in Somalia under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) peacekeeping mission, lost Major Patrick Opio Awany in the explosion in Ceel-Werigow village, approximately 70 km southwest of Mogadishu, on Sunday, according to Uganda troops' spokesman Ibrahim Kasule Sekitto.

Awany, who was commanding the convoy from Mogadishu to Ceeljale in the Lower Shabelle region, died in the blast. "This attack won't deter us; it will instead fortify our determination to support peace efforts in Somalia," Sekitto said.

Al Shabaab has been waging a war for over a decade to overthrow Somalia's central government and impose its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

(With inputs from agencies.)