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Three Emirati soldiers, Bahraini officer killed in Somalia attack

Security forces patrol outside a building which was attacked by suspected militants in the Somalia's capital Mogadishu, on February 21, 2023. (Photo: AFP)

By Hassan Mohamed | Sunday, February 11, 2024

The UAE also confirmed that two of its forces were injured in the Mogadishu attack.

Three Emirati soldiers and a Bahraini officer were killed in an attack in Somalia, where they were training the Somali national army, the United Arab Emirates' defence ministry said Saturday.

“The UAE confirms 3 of its forces and one soldier from Bahrain died in the Mogadishu attack. We also confirm that two of our forces were injured in the Mogadishu attack. We will continue with the security cooperation and coordination we with Somalia,” the UAE said in a statement posted on social media.

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Earlier, without giving details, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud also confirmed the incident.

He strongly condemned the attack and shared his deepest condolences with the people and government of the UAE for the loss. The President visited some of the wounded UAE personnel at a hospital in Mogadishu.

“I wish to share my deepest condolences to the people and government of the UAE for losing military officers in a terror attack in Mogadishu," President Hassan Sheikh said in a statement posted on social media.

Somalia President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud when he visited injured UAE officers at the Erdogan hospital in Mogadishu on February 10. 2024. (Photo: Villa Somalia)

"The slain military officers came to our country to help build the capacity of our forces. I want to thank the government and people of the UAE for their constant state-building and reconstruction support to Somalia. We will never forget their support when we needed it most.”

The President ordered security organs to swiftly investigate the incident warning that anyone involved would face the full force of the law.

The UAE said it will continue supporting Somalia and hinted it will in investigating the attack.

The United Arab Emirates and Somalia signed a military and security cooperation agreement in January 2023.