Kenyan troops in Somalia have killed 34 Al-Shabaab militants, captured a middle-level commander and seized 27 AK47 rifles in two separate battles in the past two days.
The Kenya Defence Forces, however lost two soldiers in the attacks, said military spokesman David Obonyo.
On Saturday afternoon, 21 militants were shot dead and 21 AK47 rifles and three rocket-propelled grenades impounded.
On Sunday, 13 terrorists were killed in Sarira, Lacta Belt, 30 kilometres north of Ras Kamboni, and eight AK47 rifles, two PKM (light machine guns) and two RPGs found.
Col Obonyo said that, in the first attack, a convoy of KDF soldiers under Amisom heading to Afmadhow engaged the militants, who had laid an ambush in the Lower Juba region.
“Regrettably, KDF suffered two fatalities and five injuries,” said Col Obonyo.
SOLDIERS INJURED
The overpowered militants resorted to improvised explosive devices, damaging one of the KDF vehicles.
Five soldiers were injured and evacuated.
On Wednesday, the KDF killed 19 militants in Afmadhow and seized a vehicle, 10 AK47 rifles and three RPGs. The militants were planning to attack a camp occupied by the Amisom and Somali National Army (SNA) troops in Afmadhow.
“The Al-Shabaab terrorists had approached the camp at night with the intention to attack and cut off the SNA from Amisom (KDF) camp,” said Col Obonyo.
“KDF soldiers on patrol identified the militants and engaged them in a fierce battle.”
Wednesday’s shootout came just two weeks after a US strike killed more than 150 militants at a training camp where a large-scale attack was being planned.
“We knew they would be departing the camp and they posed an imminent threat to US and African Union forces,” said US Captain Jeff Davis.
Daily nation
