The UPDF’s combined armed infantry and motorized units have killed a large number of Al-Shabaab terrorists and recaptured Bulo Marer town and the surrounding villages from the terror group.
UPDF Spokesperson Brig.Gen. Felix Kulayigye said the rescue combat force met resistance from Al-Shabaab sniper fire positioned in storey buildings and other pockets of resistance from fleeing remnants but were later successfully demolished.
He said by Wednesday, May 31st, 2023, several Somali civilians who had abandoned the area due to the firefight had returned to reoccupy their homes.
Brig. Gen. Peter Gaetano Omola, the sector one commander overseeing the operation at Goloweyn tactical base, notes that after thorough combing of the area, there is normalcy, noting that civilians and travelers were free to carry on with their normal duties.
“We have combed the area to ensure no Al-Shabaab element is hiding, and the road has been cleared of bombs. Normalcy has returned. People can now go on with their daily work,” Brig. Gen. Omola reassured.
He said the UPDF serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia remains committed to supporting a Somali-led peace and stability process as mandated by the African Union.
On May 26, 2023, Al-Shabaab, using three vehicles laden with bombs and over 800 fighters, attacked Bulo Marer’s forward operating base.
