Battle of Leego (2015)

{{short description|Attack by al-Shabaab on an African Union base in southwestern Somalia}}

{{infobox military conflict

| conflict = Battle of Leego (2015)

| partof = Somali Civil War (2009–present) and 2015 Ramadan attacks

| image = Somalia map states regions districts.png

| image_size = 250px

| caption = Political situation in Somalia (October 2014)

| date = 26 June 2015

| place = Leego, Somalia

| coordinates = {{Coord|2.7154|44.5128|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

| result = Al-Shabaab Victory,

AMISOM Strategic Victory

Al-Shabaab briefly captures Leego base, before withdrawing.

| combatant1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the African Union.svg}} AMISOM

| combatant2 = {{Flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} Al-Shabaab

| commander1 = {{Flagicon|Burundi}} Lieutenant General Silas Ntigurirwa

| commander2 = {{Flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} Ahmad Umar

| strength1 = 100 soldiers

| strength2 = At least several dozen

| casualties1 = 70 killed
27 wounded

| casualties2 =Unknown

| casualties3 =

| campaignbox = {{Campaignbox War in Somalia (2009–)}}

}}

Al-Shabaab militants attacked an African Union Mission to Somalia base in the Leego district of Somalia and killed 70 African Union soldiers and seized control of their military base on 26 June 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/suicide-bomber-attacks-african-union-base-somalia/2837996.html|title=Al-Shabab Attack Kills Scores of AU Troops|work=VOA|access-date=2015-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150629221721/http://www.voanews.com/content/suicide-bomber-attacks-african-union-base-somalia/2837996.html|archive-date=2015-06-29|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/26/al-shabaab-attacks-african-union-base-somalia-scores-killed|title=Al-Shabaab kills dozens of African Union troops at base in Somalia|work=the Guardian}}{{cite web|url=http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-06-26-al-shabaab-militants-overrun-african-union-somalia-base-manned-by-burundi-troops|title=UPDATE: Al-Shabaab claim that they had killed 30 soldiers when they 'overrun' AU Somalia base manned by Burundi troops|work=Mail & Guardian Africa|access-date=2015-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630014720/http://mgafrica.com/article/2015-06-26-al-shabaab-militants-overrun-african-union-somalia-base-manned-by-burundi-troops|archive-date=2015-06-30|url-status=dead}} A military outpost with around 100 Burundian soldiers was attacked by militants with a car bomb, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

The Mail & Guardian described the attack as the "latest attack during the insurgents’ annual Ramadan fighting season." It was reported that militants beheaded survivors of the attack at the base. Footage has been released of barefoot dead soldiers and a soldier being shot.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/26/al-shabaab-attacks-african-union-base-somalia-scores-killed|title=Al-Shabaab kills dozens of African Union troops at base in Somalia}}

Somali and AMISOM troops reportedly retook the base and town on 28 June while al-Shabaab withdrew and offered no resistance to them but not before beheading the local Deputy District commissioner among the captives they took.{{cite news | title = Somalia: Somali and AU Retake Lego From Al Shabaab | publisher = AllAfrica.com | date = 2015-06-28 | url = http://allafrica.com/stories/201506290645.html | access-date = 2018-06-26}}

The battle coincided with the 2015 Ramadan attacks conducted by ISIL and its sympathizers. However no direct link between the al-Shabaab attack and the other attacks that day exists.