STORY: AMISOM and SNA conduct military operation in

Somalias Lower Shabelle region

DURATION: 4:00
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 6/NOVEMBER/2017, AFGOYE, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Med shot, Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) serving under AMISOM prepare
for operation to flush out Al-Shabaab militants in Afgooye, Lower Shabelle region, of
Somalia
2. Close up shot, combat vehicles
3. Med tracking shot, soldiers preparing
4. Wide shot, soldiers preparing to board the combat vehicle
5. Med shot, soldier on board
6. Close up shot, ammunition
7. Close up shot, soldier
8. Wide shot, preparations ongoing
9. Med shot, combat vehicles
10. Wide shot, Lt Col Israel Kaheru Bagenda, the Commanding Officer of 11 Infantry
Battalion of UPDF talking to one of the Commanders along the road to Elasha Biyaha
12. Close up shot, a soldier listening
13. Close up shot, waterlogged maize field
14. Med shot, waterlogged maize field
15. Wide shot, waterlogged maize field
16. Wide shot, soldier standing beside the combat vehicles
17. Med shot, a commuter van carrying travelling Somali passengers towards
Balidoogle
18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lt Col Israel Kaheru Bagenda; Commanding Officer of 11
Infantry Battalion of Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) and Field Operations
Commander
The purpose of our todays operation is to ensure that we wipe out the Al-Shabaab
elements in these general areas, and of course as you are aware that AMISOM is
here to support the Somali National Security Forces who are already moving ahead
of us in this operation. However as you can see our operations have been so much
been affected by the weather. Everywhere is flooded and we are little bit stuck here
but at least preliminary information indicates that the enemy has also moved away
from the area we expected to carry out the operation.
19. Wide shot, flooded farm field
20. Med shot, camel herders with their camels pass by the soldiers
21. Close up shot, camels
22. Close up shot, Lt Col Israel Kaheru Bagenda talking on phone
23. Wide shot, soldiers and camels passing in the background
24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lt Col Israel Kaheru Bagenda; Commanding Officer of 11
Infantry Battalion of Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF) and Field Operations
Commander
The Somali National Security Forces, I would say they are on course. Their morale
so far is so high that is why they were able to accept to move ahead of us and
whatever we do is to support them.

25. Wide shot, soldiers

26. Close up shot, soldiers
27. Wide shot, combat vehicles
28. SOUNDBITE: (English) Major Robert Kamara; Spokesman of the Ugandan
Peoples Defence Force Contingent (UPDF)
We must send a clear message to Al-Shabaab wherever they are so we cannot allow
them to back and sneak into Afgooye, sneak into Balad, Elasha Biyaha, Lafoole, and
begin to cause havoc. So, our operations today were intended to send a clear
message to Al-Shabaab that wherever they are, we would be there.

29. Close up shot, camel feet

30. Wide shot, camels
31. Wide shot, a soldier walking

AMISOM and SNA troops conduct military operation in Somalias Lower Shabelle
region

Mogadishu, November 6, 2017 - AMISOM troops have launched a massive operation

to flush out Al-Shabaab militants in Lower Shabelle region and secure main supply
routes in the area.

According to Lt Col, Israel Kaheru Bagenda, the Commanding Officer of 11 Infantry

Battalion of Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF), the operation will be conducted
in phases by both AMISOM and Somali National Army (SNA) troops.

Lt Col Bagenda said the exercise was launched following information received that
Al-Shabaab militants were destabilizing areas along Afgooye- Balidoogle road,
Afgooye town mainly around Elasha Biyaha- Mogadishu Road and surrounding areas
of Jambalulu, Baghdad and Basra.
The purpose of todays operation is to ensure that we wipe out the Al-Shabaab
elements in these general areas, and of course as you are aware that AMISOM is
here to support the Somali National security forces who are already moving ahead of
us in this operation, he said.

AMISOM and SNA troops have been conducting joint operations in various parts of
the country to drive out Al-Shabaab and liberate regions under the control of the
militants.

Lt Col Bagenda, who is also the Field Operations Commander, said the operation will
be ongoing to ensure the main supply routes connecting the region and Mogadishu
are secured to allow free movement of goods and services.

The exercise, he added, will also improve security in the adjacent areas to enable
residents live in peace.

Commenting on the preparedness of the SNA to fight Al-Shabaab, Lt Col Bagenda

said the soldiers were committed to securing Somalia and had played a major role in
the stabilization process.

The Somali National Security Forces, I would say they are on course. Their morale so
far is so high that is why they were able to accept to move ahead of us and whatever
we do is to support them, he added.

The Field Operations Commanders sentiments were echoed by the Spokesman of

the UPDF contingent, Major Robert Kamara, who said the operations will continue
until Al-Shabaab is defeated.

We must send a clear message to Al-Shabaab wherever they are, that we cannot
allow them to sneak back into Afgooye, sneak into Balad, Elasha Biyaha, Lafoole,
and begin to cause havoc. So, our operations today were intended to send a clear
message to Al-Shabaab that wherever they are, we will be there, Major Kamara
added.

AMISOM has managed to drive out Al-Shabaab from vast swathes of the country,
including key towns in Somalia. This was executed through three major military
operations namely; Operation Eagle, Operation Indian Ocean and Operation Jubba
Corridor. The objective of the operations were three-fold, namely, freeing cities,
disrupting the terrorists' supply routes and preventing them from collecting illegal
taxes from the population.