Monday, January 16, 2012

KDF Somalia raid death toll rises to seven



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By XINHUA
Posted  Monday, January 16  2012 at  16:30
MOGADISHU,
The death toll has risen to seven after Kenya's fighter jets on Sunday bombed a village in southern Somalia controlled by the Islamist Al-Shabaab group, local residents reported.
The Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) raided a base of Al-Shabaab near the southern town of Jilib, hitting a residence close to the rebel base and killing five children and two militant fighters, witnesses said.
The toll was previously put at five.
"We heard huge bang and when we got to the scene we saw he blooded bodies of the three dead children and two severely wounded kids who later died," Muse Yahya a resident told Xinhua by phone on Monday.
Kenya Military Spokesperson Major Emmanuel Chirchir confirmed in a statement on Monday afternoon that Kenya Airforce jets had "bombed an Al Shabaab Command Centre in Jilib, Middle Juba on Sunday destroying the facility and injuring multiple Al-Shabaab militants."
The statement added: "On the same day, the jets bombed Al Shabaab defensive positions at Bibi South of Afmadhow destroying eight vehicles among them four technicals. Several Al Shabaab fighters are likely to have died. Battle damage assessment to follow."
Kenya jets had on previous occasions carried out attacks on Islamist bases in southern Somalia.
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Witnesses said two of the fighters at the targeted base died and that "some other fighters" were wounded in the attack which they said were carried out by jets.
Islamist fighters have so far not commented on the raids by the jets. Kenya and the Somali government troops are currently carrying out a joint military offensive against the Al-Qaeda linked movement.
The offensive was launched in October following a spade of kidnappings of foreigners from Kenya blamed on the militant group.
The Kenyan and Somali governments accuse the militant group of being behind growing insecurity along the common border of the two countries.

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