Photo: Henry Mukasa/New Vision

Ugandan soldier serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), gather before Contingent Commander for Uganda, Brigadier Paul Lokech

Mogadishu — The Uganda contingent of the African Union forces in Somalia has raided an al-Shabaab hideout in the thickets of Albao, 20km north-west of Mogadishu, seizing several military hardware and items used for terrorism attacks.

The Uganda contingent backed by the Somali National Army (SNA), in an overnight operation captured six ready-to-use improvised explosive devises (IED), two remote controls and one IED manual, officials and commanders from the field said on telephone.

AMISOM forces did not incur any loss or injury in the operation, said Brig. Michael Ondoga, the Ugandan contingent commander.

"We are committed in supporting the Somali people in attaining peace," Ondoga noted, adding: "Such operations will continue day and night to wipe out the few remaining pockets of the insurgents. Since we denied them their traditional urban centres, they have resorted to living a wild life in thickets."

Ondoga again waved an olive branch for the militants to end rebellion and join in the reconstruction of Somalia. "We call upon them to disengage so they can stop living in the bushes," he said.

Other items collected after the attack on al-Shabaab were six nicad batteries, five dozens of dry cells used for IED remote control and half a dozen offensive grenades.

Ammunition taken from the al-Shabaab hideout comprised 14 sub-machine guns with 34 magazines, two PK machine-guns with five chains, two pistols and one rocket-propelled grenade pipe with three bombs.

Also confiscated were four fuses, eight pairs of military uniforms, one GPS (Global Positioning System), one VHF radio, one walkie-talkie, five solar panels, one campus, 18 magazine pouches and 2,435 bullets of different calibers.

Others were a laptop computer, 14 mobile telephones, two military water bottles and valuable literature.

This operation comes at a time when AMISOM and the SNA are restoring calm in sector one after a spate of terrorist activities in Mogadishu over the last month.

Over the last one month, the allied forces have arrested, from multiple targets within the vicinity of Mogadishu, suspected key masterminds of the terrorist attacks and recovered ammunition from them.

Al-shabaab retreated from Mogadishu in August last year. However, remnants and sympathisers remained and are now being sorted out in.