The terrorists attacked the ATMIS base in Bulamarer on Friday.

Qatar staunchly condemned a deadly attack on Ugandan peacekeepers serving in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

Al-Shabab rebels stormed a military base housing Ugandan personnel of the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, according to the East African country’s contingent and a Somali captain, Al Jazeera said.

The ATMIS base in Bulamarer, 130 kilometres southwest of the capital Mogadishu, was attacked by the insurgents on Friday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar “expressed its strong condemnation and denunciation of the attack that targeted the Ugandan peacekeepers in the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, which resulted in deaths,” a statement read.

Doha echoed its “firm position” rejecting violence and terrorism, regardless of the motives and reasons.

“It also expresses the condolences of the State of Qatar to the families of the vic-
tims and to the government and people of Uganda,” the statement added.

Without giving further specifics, ATMIS, which has 22,000 soldiers, stated on Twitter that it was evaluating the security situation.

Since it took over for the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) last year, the mission has been aiding the federal government of Somalia in its fight against the armed group with ties to al-Qaeda.

Meanwhile, Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that it said claimed the lives of 137 soldiers.

The number of fatalities was not immediately confirmed by the authorities. The group frequently provides estimates that are different from those provided by the authorities.

Al-Shabab

Meaning “The Youth” in Arabic, the group first emerged as the extremist youth wing of the now-defunct Union of Islamic Courts in Somalia, which ruled Mogadishu in 2006 before Ethiopian forces drove them out.

Imposing radical views, the group oversees the stoning of women accused of adultery to death, as well as amputating the hands of thieves.

Ahmed Abdi Godane, the Al-Shabab leader at the time, “pledged obedience” to the late Ayman Al Zawahiri in a joint video that was broadcast in February 2012.

Al-Shabab also reportedly holds connections to other militant groups in Africa, including Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, which is based in the Sahara desert.