Ugandan troops capture strategic town in Somalia

text

Ugandan troops have captured a strategic town from Somali militants Al Shaabab in the volatile Horn of Africa country, a top military official said here Wednesday.

Gen. Edward Katumba Wamala, Chief of Ugandan Defense Forces, told reporters here that the Ugandan contingent captured Koroyel, about 250 kilometers from the capital, Mogadishu.

"The boys are doing very well. We are encouraged by what we see in Somalia, not only our successes on the ground but also the response by the Somali community," said Katumba.

"Very soon we are going to have one of the battle groups rotating out and the new battle group is going in which has just finished training," he said.

Katumba said that lack of air support has slowed the capture and expansion of more towns and areas from Al-Shabaab militants.

"Of course one of the constraints has been the lack of air support. This is something we have appealed to AU and U.N. time and again that we need air support. It's has been as good on paper and that's where it has remained," said Katumba.

"We even asked them to pay our choppers so that we can find a replacement, they are not eager to do that."

Uganda lost three Mi-24 attack helicopters after they crashed on the slopes of Mount Kenya en route to deployment in the Somali port of Kismayo in August 2012.

Uganda has more than 6,000 peacekeeping troops serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia.