Hiiraan Online
Tuesday January 26, 2016
MOGADISHU (HOL) – Kenyan troops have withdrawn from El-Ade town on Tuesday morning one week after a massive assault by the Al-Qeda linked militants who killed dozens of soldiers and looted the military base, residents said.
The attack on El-ade army base was one of the deadliest attacks on the Kenyan army which vowed ‘massive’ retaliation against Al Shabab after the attack.
Residents in the town told HOL that they have seen Kenyan military in tanks and battlewagons leaving the town towards the border after emptying the base.
Kenyan government hasn’t so far commented on the development.
However, the abrupt withdrawal by Kenyan forces has caused a security scare among the residents of the town who said that Al Shabab fighters based outside the town may come recapture it.
On Saturday, Al shabab warned Kenya to pull its troops out of Somalia days; however, Kenyan government dismissed the warning saying the attack renewed its determination to destroy Al Shabaab.
Kenya sent troops into neighboring Somalia in 2011 after a spare of suspected Al-Shabab raids and kidnappings of tourists.