African Union peacekeepers launched a preemptive attack on Al Shabab militants in Mogadishu today to prevent them from attacking aid groups as they begin arriving. Nineteen peacekeepers were wounded in the fighting and were evacuated to Nairobi, according to the AP. Six people died.
The peacekeepers said they captured three “strategic locations” in the city, Bloomberg reported. Mogadishu is Somalia’s main city and the key conduit for aid operations in the country.
"AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) fully understands the need to restrain military operations while the aid agencies mount their humanitarian campaign. However, we are here to maintain stability in Mogadishu, and if we perceive a threat from the extremist insurgents, then it is our duty to protect and defend the most vulnerable from this threat," said Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, an AMISOM spokesman.
