Somalia: Al-Shabaab claims attack on a UAE military base in capital Mogadishu | Oneindia
On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates Defense Ministry confirmed the tragic loss of three soldiers from the UAE Armed Forces and an officer from the Bahrain Defense Force in a devastating assault at a military base in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital. The assault occurred at the General Gordon military base on Saturday night, according to the ministry's statement. The Al-Shabab militant group, linked to Al-Qaeda, has asserted responsibility for the attack, which targeted a training mission at the base, as stated by UAE authorities on Sunday.
#SomaliaAttack #AlShabaab #UAE #MilitaryBase #Mogadishu #Terrorism #SecurityThreat #Extremism #GlobalSecurity #Counterterrorism #MiddleEast #Africa #Conflict #TerroristGroup #InternationalRelations #Defense #ArmedForces #MilitaryConflict #Violence #Peacekeeping
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#SomaliaAttack #AlShabaab #UAE #MilitaryBase #Mogadishu #Terrorism #SecurityThreat #Extremism #GlobalSecurity #Counterterrorism #MiddleEast #Africa #Conflict #TerroristGroup #InternationalRelations #Defense #ArmedForces #MilitaryConflict #Violence #Peacekeeping
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NewsTranscript
00:00 On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates Defense Ministry confirmed the tragic loss of three
00:08 soldiers from the UAE armed forces and an officer from the Bahrain Defense Force in
00:13 a devastating assault at a military base in Mogadishu, Somalia's capital.
00:18 The assault occurred at the General Gordon military base on Saturday night, according
00:22 to the ministry's statement.
00:24 The Al-Shabaab militant group, linked to al-Qaeda, has asserted responsibility for the attack,
00:29 which targeted a training mission at the base, as stated by UAE authorities on Sunday.
00:35 The UAE Defense Ministry disclosed that UAE personnel were engaged in training soldiers
00:40 from the Somali armed forces pursuant to an agreement between the UAE and Somalia.
00:45 Regrettably, the attack resulted in two additional injuries, as stated by the ministry.
00:49 Reports indicate that the assailant was identified as a recently trained Somali soldier.
00:54 The assault on Saturday targeted troops stationed at the General Gordon military base, with
00:58 details surrounding the attack and casualties remaining scant.
01:02 Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohammed extended his condolences to the UAE in the aftermath
01:07 of the tragedy.
01:08 The UAE's military of defense classified the incident as a terrorist act, confirming
01:12 the loss of three of its troops and a Bahrain soldier, while noting the two others sustained
01:17 injuries.
01:18 Anwar Garkash, a senior Emirati diplomat, conveyed sympathies to the victims and wished
01:22 a speedy recovery to the wounded.
01:24 "No treacherous act will deter us from upholding the message of security, combating extremism
01:29 and terrorism in all its manifestation," Garkash asserted.
01:33 Meanwhile, Bahrain, an island nation in the Gulf-neighboring Saudi Arabia, has not immediately
01:38 acknowledged the attack.
01:40 Al-Shabaab asserted responsibility for the attack through an online statement, claiming
01:43 to have targeted multiple individuals involved in the Emirati military effort.
01:48 In their statement, they labeled the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms situated
01:52 on the Arabian Peninsula, as an "enemy of Islamic law" due to its support for the
01:56 Somali government in combating the armed group.
01:59 Originating from Somalia's prolonged period of anarchy following the 1991 civil war, Al-Shabaab,
02:04 meaning "the youth" in Arabic, once held control over Mogadishu.
02:08 However, an African Union-led force, backed by the US and other nations, eventually ousted
02:13 the group from the capital.
02:14 Since then, Al-Shabaab has persistently clashed with the country's federal government and
02:18 the AU-mandated peacekeeping missions as an endeavour to establish a new government based
02:23 on its interpretation of Islamic law.
02:26 The group frequently conducts bombings in densely populated areas across the nation.
02:30 Notably, on Tuesday, a series of attacks in a crowded market in Mogadishu resulted in
02:34 at least 10 fatalities and approximately 20 injuries.
02:37 Al-Shabaab has also carried out assaults in neighbouring Kenya, targeting the country
02:41 due to its provision of troops and resources to the AU force operating there.
02:44 The UAE in recent years has increasingly invested in ports in East Africa, including in Somalia's
02:50 breakaway Somaliland region.
02:52 Securing Somalia fits into the empire's wider concerns about security in the Gulf of Aden
02:56 and the Arabian Sea.
02:57 Somali piracy has recently resumed after several years amid the attacks by Yemen's Houthi
03:01 rebels on shipping in the Red Sea.
03:03 For more UN videos visit: www.un.org/webcast