Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers on Saturday killed 21 Al-Shabaab militants in Lower Juba Region in Somalia in an afternoon shootout that left two KDF soldiers dead.
The KDF also recovered 19 AK-47 rifles, three rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) and a pistol.
KDF spokesman Col David Obonyo said a convoy of KDF soldiers operating under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) were on their way to Afmadow when they engaged the Al-Shabaab who had laid an ambush in the Lower Juba Region.
“Regrettably, KDF suffered two fatalities and five injuries,” Col Obonyo said. “The injured were evacuated and [are] receiving medical attention.”
During the fierce engagement, the overpowered Al-Shabaab militants resorted to the use of improvised explosive devices (IED), damaging one of the KDF vehicles.
On Wednesday last week, the KDF also killed 19 Al-Shabaab militants in Afmadow. The KDF personnel recovered a vehicle, 10 AK-47 rifles and three RPGs.
The militants are said to have planned to attack a camp occupied by the Amisom and Somali National Army (SNA) troops in Afmadow, Lower Juba Region.
“The Al-Shabaab terrorists had approached the camp at night with the intention to attack and cut off the SNA from Amisom (KDF) camp. “KDF soldiers on patrol identified the militants and engaged them in a fierce battle,” Col Obonyo said.
Last Wednesday’s shooting came just two weeks after a US drone strike killed more than 150 Al-Shabaab militants at a training camp where a large scale attack was being planned.
“We know they were going to be departing the camp and they posed an imminent threat to US and [African Union] forces,” spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said.
Kenya has about 4,000 troops in the 22,000-strong African Union force battling al-Shabab, which is part of al-Qaeda, in Somalia. The latest incident also comes two weeks after the US strike killed more than 150 Al-Shabaab.
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