Four injured KDF soldiers flown to Nairobi after al Shabaab attack

Kenya’s military carried out air raids on al-Qaeda-linked militants in southwestern Somalia after an attack on an African Union military base January 15 in which the Islamists said at least 100 Kenyan soldiers died.

The four male soldiers were received by the Chief of Defence Forces Gen Samson Mwathethe, Army Commander Lieutenant General Leonard Ngondi, Kenya Airforce Commander Samuel Thuita and Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo.

The army has set up helplines for the families of those killed, although it has yet to name them and no official toll has been released.

Al Shabaab attacked an African Union base on Friday killing dozens of soldiers and capturing others who are reportedly being used as human shields.

Four Kenya Defence Forces personnel who were injured when Al-Shabaab militants attacked their base in Somalia were flown to Nairobi on Sunday aboard two private jets.

Meanwhile, President Uhuru Kenyatta wished the injured soldiers quick recovery and urged Kenyans to pray for them.

Al-Shabab also claimed its fighters seized armaments and military vehicles in the attack in the town of El-Ade near the Kenyan border.

Jihadist websites in Somalia claimed that 12 Kenyan soldiers were captured. “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 attack is described as the worst since Kenya sent its troops to battle Al-Shabaab in southern Somalia in 2011.

“This attack has sparked off understandable panic, anger and uncertainty among our citizens who are seeking to better understand how this happened, the number of victims, the survivors and their whereabouts and how we ensure this does not happen again”, he said.