Mogadishu – AMISOM has paid tribute to one of its own who was killed on Monday in an explosion while he was protecting Somali workers in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

In a press release, the AMISOM Force Commander, Lt Gen Andrew Gutti paid tribute to the fallen soldier, whose names have not been announced.

 The group says no other casualties were reported in the incident which took place at the Siad Barre Military Academy.

It was at this location that the dead soldier was helping to secure the area for Somali workmen hired to construct a fence.

The source of the explosion is yet to be determined but appeared to be a remote-controlled IED. Three suspects have been arrested and handed over to the Somali authorities.

Sending his condolences to the family and friends of the fallen soldier, Gen Gutti praised the soldier’s bravery and sacrifice.

The army general strongly condemned the attack, which he said had put Somali lives at risk.

“We are saddened by the loss of this brave soldier, though grateful that no one else was injured in the attack. It is sad that as Somalia strives to rebuild after decades of war, there are still those who would want to harm innocent citizens.

“AMISOM will not be deterred in its determination to secure the safety of the Somali people and to continue to build up the capacity of the country’s security forces,” he added.

The security situation in Mogadishu has improved over the last 18 months.

And this has been after Somali national security forces, supported by AMISOM, forced the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab terror group to abandon fixed positions in the city.

In December, the AMISOM Police component began conducting night patrols with their counterparts in the Somali Police Force which has seen a significant reduction in criminal and terror attacks on the civilian population.