KDF destroys Al-Shabaab camp

The Kenya Defence Forces Thursday evening said they had destroyed an Al-Shabaab camp, which authorities believe was used to train the Westgate mall attackers.

In a statement, Colonel Cyrus Oguna, the KDF Operations Information Officer, said the soldiers had conducted “a major aerial offensive” on Al-Shabaab camp in Hurguun.

“The air strike completely destroyed an Al-Shabaab training camp at Hurguun. Initial reports from the ground confirmed that four technical vehicles and a weapons store were destroyed,” he said.

TRAIN OPERATIVES

“The training camp has been used by Al-Shabaab to train operatives, some of whom are eventually infiltrated into the country. The Westgate attackers received their training at this camp,” he said.

He added that there were at least 300 new Shabaab recruits during the attack and “many” might have been killed or injured.

Col Oguna said this latest attack was is a continuation of the Jillib attack, in which an Al-Shabaab Commander Abdullahi Ali alias Ante Ante and Abdi Fatah were killed.

“Operations of this nature will be sustained into the future, and form part of a broader African Mission in Somalia (Amisom) effort in stabilising Somalia. They further complement operations being conducted by the Federal Government of Somalia and other allied forces to degrade remnants of Al-Shabaab’s capacity.”

The announcement followed an earlier statement by Amisom, which said KDF had resumed attacks on suspected Al-Shabaab hideouts in Middle, Lower Juba and Bay regions of Somalia.

“Targeting these remaining Al-Shabaab locations will complement the operations already being conducted by the Federal Government of Somalia and other allied forces as well as deny Al-Shabaab freedom of movement and further reduce their ability to perpetrate attacks against the civilians in Somalia and the region,” the statement said.

But reports in some Somalia news sites had earlier claimed that the forces had been attacked in Kismayu as Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud toured the port city, which was liberated from the Shabaabs last year.

Col Oguna had earlier denied this, telling the Nation: “All is well and our troops are okay. I have just spoken to them and there was no attack at all.”

Amisom said the resumed operations would be within “clearly defined objectives which have been validated following extensive surveillance and intelligence” to avoid targeting civilians.