Qatar condemns Al Shabaab raid on AU base

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Wednesday May 4, 2022

Mogadishu (HOL) - Qatar has strongly condemned and denounced the attack targeting the African Union Transition Mission forwarding operation base in El-baraf small town in the Middle Shabelle region.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated Qatar's firm position in rejecting violence and terrorism, regardless of the motives and reasons.

In the early hours of Tuesday, the attack began with a suicide car bomb that targeted the gates of the fortified compound, followed by heavy gunfire.

The al-Qaeda-linked armed group al Shabaab claimed to have killed 59 Burundian troops before raising this total to 173 and taking several survivors as prisoners. Neither claim can be independently verified, but the Al Qaeda-linked group regularly exaggerates the number of victims.

A high-ranking Burundian military officer told AFP that about 30 soldiers were killed and another 22 wounded, while a dozen were missing.

Al-Shabaab also released a video showing bodies of soldiers and captured military hardware, including armoured vehicles.
The Ministry expressed Qatar's condolences to the families of the victims.

Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Al Shabaab "in the strongest possible terms" for its attack on an African Union forwarding operating base. The Ministry added that the multi-pronged attack in El Baraf, a small town 150 kilometers north of Mogadishu, was eventually repulsed.

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