Tuesday October 7, 2014
NAIROBI -- Kenya’s military has confirmed that its soldiers have killed 22 'al-Shabaab' militants and disrupted logistical base in Bula Gadud in southern Somalia.
Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) spokesman David Obonyo said troops liberated Bula Gadud and destroyed three vehicles, apart from capturing weapons and ammunition.
"Our forces, which are part of AMISOM, today killed 22 'al-Shabaab' fighters in Bula Gadud as part of an extended Indian Ocean operation.
"The logistical base was being used by the militants to carry out attacks in Kismayo," Obonyo told Xinhua by telephone.
Obonyo said a Kenyan soldier and three others from the Somali National Army were injured during the operation, which was aimed at ridding off the insurgents who have engaged the Somali government in several attacks.
The injured soldiers had been transferred to a hospital at Dhobley for treatment.
Sources said the liberated town used to be a major logistical and planning base for 'al-Shabaab' fighters who are on the run after the AU Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) captured on Sunday the southern port of Barawe, the last major port held by Al-Shabaab fighters.
The loss of Barawe comes just a month after 'al-Shabaab’s supreme leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, was killed in a U.S. drone and aircraft strike last month.
'al-Shabaab' has vowed reprisal attacks in the country, mainly targeting security forces in border towns of northern Kenya where dozens of people have been killed in landmine and grenade attacks blamed on the militant group.