KAMPALA, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- The Ugandan military on Wednesday clarified that one of its soldiers and a Somali civilian were killed in an ambush in Marka town in Lower Shabelle region, southern Somalia.
Lt. Col. Deo Akiiki, Uganda's deputy military spokesperson, told Xinhua by telephone on Wednesday that during the Sunday night ambush, staged by militant group al-Shabaab, 11 militants were also killed in the cross fire exchange.
The soldiers serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) were on patrol, ahead of Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo's visit to the region.
"I can confirm there was an ambush on our troops who were on night patrol in Marka. One soldier died and a civilian also lost life in the cross fire exchange," Akiiki said.
"We are waiting for the details and name of the deceased soldier from AMISOM so that we inform the next of kin and family," he added.
Akiiki had earlier said that two soldiers were killed in the ambush.
Uganda contributes some 6,500 soldiers to the 22,000 African Union peacekeeping force deployed to pacify the war-torn Horn of Africa country.
