Government troops thwarted two Al-Shabaab attacks on Afgoye forward operating base (FOB) last night just moments after AU forces handed over the security responsibility of the base to Somalia National Forces (SNA)
Over eight years after taking control of Afgoye town, situated some 30 KMs Northwest of Mogadishu from Al-Shabaab in an operation dubbed “Operation Free Shabelle”, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on Thursday handed over control of Afgoye military base to the Somali National Army (SNA). AU forces have now moved towards Arbiska and Arba’ow, between Mogadishu and Afgoye.
The handover was in line with the Somalia Transition Plan, which is a comprehensive guide developed by the Federal Government of Somalia and its partners to the transfer of security responsibility from AMISOM to Somalia’s national security forces.
The Al-Shabaab attacks yester night was probably meant to intimidate the new SNA soldiers manning the camp.
The attacks may also have been a means for the militia to test the SNA’s firepower to aid them in planning a major offensive against the Afgoye camp.
