The soldiers were tragically “exposed to a terrorist act” while carrying out their duties to train and equip the Somali Armed Forces, the ministry stated in a message on the social media platform X.
The ministry mentioned that two others sustained injuries in the incident, although it did not provide additional information.
The UAE “remains committed to coordinating and cooperating with the Somali government in investigating this heinous terrorist act,” the statement emphasized.
Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud sent his condolences to the people and Government of the United Arab Emirates, as reported by the Somali news agency SONNA. The agency stated that the attack had targeted a military camp in the capital Mogadishu.
“I condemn to the worst terms the incident that took the lives of the UAE officers who offered their time and lives to liberate and re-build our country,” said Mohamud, He further announced that he was initiating an investigation into the attack.
The United Arab Emirates and Somalia, entangled in an internal conflict with the radical Islamist group Al-Shabaab, entered into a military and security cooperation agreement in January 2023.