The Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) route search explosive devices team under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has neutralised Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Somalia.

The IEDs, which were planted along the Lower Shabelle Shalambot-Ceeljale main supply route in Somalia, were neutralised on Saturday, January 13, 2024.

The development follows the planting of the IEDs by the al-Shabaab militants along the same route where some exploded hitting a civilian vehicle with five occupants.

The Army in a statement noted that the ATMIS humanitarian convoy evacuated the casualties to Ceelwaligo for further management.

Uganda Battle Group 37 Commander Col. Charles Kibaate Asiimwe condemned the act of planting IEDs.

“The heinous and barbaric acts committed by al-Shabaab of emplacing IEDs along roads must be condemned by peace-loving people of the world. Al-Shabaab is hellbent on seeing that Somalia does not attain total peace," Kibaate said.

The neutralising of IEDs is aimed at ensuring the safety of humanitarian relief convoys delivering essential aid to communities in need of supplies.

Planting of IEDs is a tactic employed by the al-Shabaab to prevent travellers from using public roads.

In November last year, KIbaate took the New Vision for a guided tour of areas of Lower Shabelle and demonstrated how the UPDF forces detonate the IEDs planted by the al-Shabab.

Kibaate noted that they had been able to secure large sections of the road to allow the movement of both people and goods to different parts of the Lower Shabbelle by continuously dismantling the IEDs.