Kenya sends troops into Somalia

Kenya has deployed columns of troops into neighbouring Somalia and launched an offensive against al-Shabaab militants there.

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Isiolo/Mogadishu - Kenya deployed columns of troops into neighbouring Somalia and launched an offensive against al-Shabaab militants on Sunday, helping to drive the al-Qaeda-linked militants out of two bases.

A Somali military commander told Reuters that warplanes carried out airstrikes in southern Somalia, much of which is under the control of al-Shabaab, suspected by Kenya of kidnapping two Spanish aid workers on Thursday.

The senior officer could not confirm if the aircraft were Kenyan.

Kenya has long cast a wary eye at lawless Somalia and its troops have made brief forays across the remote frontier in the past, but Sunday's attacks appeared to mark a concerted military push to drive the rebels away from the frontier.

“There have been air strikes against... al-Shabaab bases near Afmadow late yesterday and today. We are heading towards Afmadow now. Al Shabaab have already vacated the town,” he said.

“I can't identify the military aircraft, but our neighbour Kenya is fully supporting us militarily and our mission is to drive al-Shabaab out of the region,” Abdi said.

A senior Kenyan official confirmed Kenyan boots were on Somali soil, a day after Defence Minister Yusuf Haji said Kenya had the right to pursue the enemy inside Somali territory if attacked.

“These are criminals, and it's important to indicate we are not at war with the government of Somalia, or with the people of Somalia,” Francis Kimemia, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Internal Security, told the private-owned Citizen Television.

Kenya vowed it would hunt the al-Qaeda-linked insurgents following last week's kidnapping of two Spanish aid workers.

That attack was the third on Westerners in a little over a month and had heaped pressure on the Kenyan authorities to beef up defences along its frontier.

“Kenyan troops are involved directly in the fighting with the help of Somali troops - their jets and helicopters could be seen flying over our heads,” Mohamud Ali Diriye, a resident in the Somali town of Qoqane told Reuters.

A Kenyan military chopper crash-landed inside Kenya, close to the semi-arid frontier, late on Sunday after conducting air surveillance to track down the militants, residents in the Kenyan town of Liboi said.

“The helicopter flew at high speed from the side of Somalia, suddenly landed at Liboi Primary School, crash-landed,” said one local who declined to be named.

A second helicopter that was meant to take off on a similar mission was grounded after the incident, he said.

Kenyan and Somali security officials had met in the Somali border town of Dhobley, less than 25km from Liboi, this weekend.

“A team comprising Kenya Army and Rapid Deployment Unit (police) officers left our border last evening and went to Dhobley. They held a meeting with top officers of the TFG (Somali) forces for about two hours before they came back,” the security source said.

“The meeting was to prepare a joint operation between the two forces which is meant to launch an offensive against al-Shabaab rebels who are scattered in different parts of southern Somalia,” he added, without giving further details.

Residents living close to the border reported a build up of troops, armoured personnel carriers and tanks late on Saturday.

Al-Shabaab has said it is not behind the abduction of the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) staff from Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp, located about 80km from Liboi. - Reuters

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/kenya-sends-troops-into-somalia-1.1158176

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