Seven Ugandan peacekeepers serving under the African Union Stabilization Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) were killed during a joint military offensive against Al-Shabaab fighters, Ugandan and Somali officials confirmed on Monday.

The soldiers were participating in Operation Silent Storm, a three-day assault led by AUSSOM and the Somali National Army (SNA) aimed at retaking the strategic Sabiid-Canoole area, located around 90 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu. The town had reportedly served as a logistics and planning hub for Al-Shabaab since March.

Successes Claimed Against Al-Shabaab

The offensive resulted in the deaths of at least 30 Al-Shabaab fighters, with the joint force also recovering arms caches and dismantling a network of underground tunnels used for explosive storage and operational coordination.

Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma, AUSSOM Force Commander, emphasized the broader impact: Follow-up operations are underway in Afgooye district to eliminate residual threats.

Uganda’s Ongoing Commitment to Somali Stability

Brig. Gen. Joseph Musoke Ssemwanga, Uganda’s Sector One Commander, detailed that militants had used Sabiid-Canoole to plan vehicle-borne IED attacks and extort civilians via illegal checkpoints.

Uganda, one of the largest troop-contributing countries in Somalia, has played a key role in stabilization efforts since 2007. AUSOM currently fields 11,146 troops in Somalia, though its leadership has stated an urgent need for at least 8,000 additional personnel to handle increasing militant activity.

The fallen soldiers' remains will be repatriated to Uganda for burial with full military honors.