As this publication reported on 26 May 23, al-Shabaab militants seized a Ugandan military base in Buulo Mareer, Lower Shabelle, Somalia. However, at the time of that publication, Ugandan and ATMIS leadership refused to comment if the base had actually been overrun.
Well, by 0700 on 31 May 23, Ugandan forces reported that they had recaptured several major supply routes to the base and that their forces were recovering ground, confirming the base had been lost:
By 0323 EST on 1 Jun 23, the Ugandan military reported that its troops has recaptured the base, pursued al-Shabaab militants from the area and inflicted “many casualties”. While the Ugandan military did not publish any evidence of these claims, they did publish several photos showing the recovery of their dead and Lieutenant General Sam Okiding, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia Force Commander, visiting wounded Ugandan troops in the hospital.
#ATMIS Force Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding today visited soldiers injured in the recent attack on Buulo Mareer Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Lower Shabelle region.
Lt. Gen. Okiding commended the soldiers for their bravery in fighting off Al-Shabaab militants and wished them… pic.twitter.com/oZL0dx3yn2— ATMIS (@ATMIS_Somalia) May 30, 2023
After a deadly attack by Al Shabaab militants on an AU military base manned by the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF) in Bula Marer, Southern Somalia, the bodies of the fallen Ugandan soldiers have been flown back to Kampala. pic.twitter.com/7304C8kV58
— Dalsan TV (@DalsanTv) May 29, 2023
