Kenyan troops repulses Al-Shabaab attack in southern Somalia

KISMAYO, Somalia - Al-Shabaab militants on Thursday suffered a huge setback after the Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] managed to repulse an organized attack, which would have been rather devastating according to eyewitnesses.

Top officials who spoke to the media confirmed that the KDF team manning Sector II managed to flush away the militants in Hosingow Forward Operating Base [FOB], which has often been targeted by the militants.

Reports indicate several militants were wounded in the encounter on Thursday within the region, which is under Jubaland administration. There is a huge presence of KDF troops in Jubaland who serve in Sectors II and IV of AMISOM.

The milestone staged by KDF comes just after the Somali National Army [SNA] managed to kill at least 10 Al-Shabaab militants besides injuring several others at Jimame town in the Lower Juba region, which most parts was liberated from the militants about several years ago.

In his address to the media earlier this week, SNA Infantry Deputy Commander Ismail Sheikh Isak, on Wednesday said the operation to flush out Al-Shabaab militants will continue in the area until the terror outfit is driven out of the area.

The Kenya Defense Forces have close to 3,500 soldiers in the AMISOM team who are credited for victory against Al-Shabaab in many battlegrounds. The KDF team has been in Somalia since 2011 following the launch of Operation Linda Nchi.

Despite winning battles in cities such as Kismayo and Dhobley, KDF suffered unexpected attacks in El-Adde and Kulbiyow in the Gedo region where hundreds of soldiers were killed in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The militants have, however, been significantly neutralized.

GAROWE ONLINE