Saturday November 12, 2022
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the Somali National Army (SNA) ended a three-day meeting in Somalia's capital Mogadishu on Friday in an effort to devise ways of countering the threat posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The 64 allied troops met to enhance counter-IED capabilities, including the capacity to apply the elements of speed and surprise when acting on real-time actionable intelligence.
Acting ATMIS Force Commander Keith Katungi said the threat posed by IEDs necessitates the allied troops to come up with innovative and workable counter-IED measures.
"The reason why we should have innovative and all-inclusive workable approaches towards combating the menace of IEDs is that al-Shabab tactics keep changing. Our thinking should not be parochial but wider, more innovative, and creative," Katungi said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.
The UN-backed meeting came as joint military operations are underway across many parts of Somalia to recover territories from the al-Shabab group which is planting IEDs that disrupt the movement of goods and people.