Kenyan military attacks Al-Shabaab training camp in Somalia

November 1, 2013 (KAMPALA) – The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has said it on Thursday evening attacked and destroyed an Al-Shabaab training base in Somalia.

‘‘KDF forces within AMISON conducted a major aerial offensive on Al-Shaab locations in the Dinsoor region. The air strike completely destroyed an Al-Shabaab training camp at Hurguun’’ said Colonel Cyrus Oguna, the KDF Operations Information Officer in a statement on Thursday.

AMISOM is the African Union mission in Somalia. Uganda, Kenya and Burundi have troops in the country under the mission.

‘‘The training camp has been used by the Al-Shabaab to train operatives some of whom eventually infiltrated into the country. The Westgate attackers received their training from this camp,’’ said Colonel Cyprus Oguna.

In September Al-Shabaab claimed a deadly attack on the Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya killing 67 people.

The Kenya military spokesperson said the aerial attack is believed to have killed 300 Al-Shabaab who were in the camp.

The Kenyan military strike came on the same day AMISOM said it was resuming attacks on the Al-Qaeda linked militant group.

‘‘Targeting these remaining Al Shabaab locations will complement the operations already being conducted by the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and other allied forces as well as deny Al Shabaab freedom of movement,’’ AMISOM said on Thursday.

The Kenyan army said the aerial offensive is a continuation of an earlier attack in which Al-Shabaab commanders, Abdullai Ali aka Ante Ante and Abdi Fatah were killed.

(ST)