Somalia: Islamist Rebels Say They Captured Kenyan troops on Friday

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The Somali Islamic extremist group al-Shabab said on Sunday that it had captured some Kenyan soldiers during its attack Friday on a base of African Union peacekeepers in southwestern Somalia. Kenya’s Defence Ministry said both sides had suffered casualties but said numbers were not confirmed. “As I have indicated to you previously, search, rescue and recovery operations are ongoing, and consequently we expect to receive more of our soldiers in the coming days.”An inter-faith prayer service was performed on the runway.

The insurgents “stormed the Kenyan base in the early hours of Friday morning, killing more than 100 Kenyan invaders, seizing their weapons and military vehicles and even capturing Kenyan soldiers alive”, said an email statement cited by AFP.

They were received in an elaborate military parade that was attended by Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo, Chief of Defence Forces General Samson Mwathethe, Kenya Air Force Commander Samuel Thuita and other top military officials.

Thirty-four Kenyan soldiers injured in the attack have been flown home for treatment. It has been known to conduct high-profile attacks in neighboring Kenya, including the 2013 assault on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi that ended with at least 67 people dead.

“AMISOM is in Somalia to resurrect stability and help the Somali people and its government in attaining and establishing a secure and harmonic nation.” said Prime Minister Sharmarke.

The soldiers who belonged to 9th Kenya Rifles Formation in Eldoret were said to have been on their second tour of Somalia.

The military camp which the attacker attacked is located about 550 km from the Kenyan border in Mogadishu’s south west Ceel Cedo district. A military company can range between 80 to 250 soldiers.

The militants frequently exaggerate the number of troops they kill, while AMISOM and the countries that contribute troops to the force rarely give reliable tolls.

He said that Al Shabaab aims to destroy the precious freedoms that citizens enjoy, adding that “we will not know peace so long as this threat of terror exists in our region”.