UK deploys first troops in Somalia to support UN mission

British troops have arrived in Somalia as part of the UN's efforts to combat terror threats posed by the Islamic extremist group Al-Shabaab. These are the first troops to travel to the East African country, where Islamic State (Isis) had claimed its first ever attack by blowing up an African Union car just outside the capital Mogadishu.

Up to 70 UK military personnel are further set to be deployed there this year as part of the UN peacekeeping mission to counter extremists. A group of soldiers will offer medical, logistical and engineering support to the African Union Mission in Somalia.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said the move reinforces the UK's commitment to targeting terrorism around the world.

"This deployment is another demonstration of the flexibility and global reach of our Armed Forces. Alongside our efforts in Iraq, Syria, and Nigeria, it shows our determination to tackle terrorism wherever it rears its head."

Earlier in September 2015, Prime Minister David Cameron had announced that the UK would send troops to Somalia and South Sudan, as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review. He had also pledged to deploy double the number of UK troops serving on the UN peacekeeping tasks from the 300 currently deployed.

With an aim to support efforts to end of the world's most destabilising conflicts, personnel would be sent to South Sudan too, to provide vital engineering work to strengthen their infrastructure, Cameron had said.