The Somali terror group Harakat Shabaab Mujahideen conducted a roadside ambush targeting an Ethiopian AMISOM contingent on general patrol outside the Luuq border area in Gedo Prefecture, using a reinforced RIED. The ENDF AMISOM contingent was on regular patrol in the area. Attacks targeting the Ethiopian military in Somalia have significantly increased in July. The group continues to deploy roadside improvised explosive devices RIED and reinforcing the attack with a commando like assault using machine guns and assault rifles.
The Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) AMISOM Contingent in Luuq engaged the Al-Qaeda affiliate in Somalia, Harakat Shabaab Mujahideen in a firefight after the terror group militia targeted them by detonating an RIED and machine gun fire outside Luuq township of Gedo province of Somalia. No BDA has been provided by intelligence assets in the area. RIED’s are used to destroy troop logistics and kill occupants. It is reinforced with an ambush using powerful machine gun fire and pockets of commando-like assault often AK-47 Automatic rifles to kill the ambushed troops and survivors of the RIED.
Most AMISOM contingents have suffered numerous such attack, losing dozens of troops in a single attack. In most cases, if the attack is successful, chances of countering and surviving it are often low and affects convectional troops significantly.
