MOGADISHU, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and Somali National Army forces (SNA) killed several al-Shabab fighters who attacked a military base last Friday in the southern region, the AU mission said Tuesday.
The ATMIS said the allied forces successfully pursued the fleeing al-Shabab terrorists involved in the attack on a military base housing Ugandan forces of the ATMIS in Bulo Marer, about 130 km southwest of Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on May 26.
"A substantial number of the terrorists have been eliminated. The joint force has also retrieved multiple weapons looted from the FOB (forward operating base)," the ATMIS said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
The AU mission, which has 22,000 troops, vowed to step up its commitment to fighting terrorism in Somalia.
The ATMIS said last week that it was assessing the security situation without providing details on the number of casualties.
Al-Shabab extremist group, which has been fighting to topple the Somali government, claimed it carried out suicide bomb attacks on a base of the ATMIS in Bula Marer on Friday and killed 137 soldiers. ■