Xinhua
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Kenya’s Military Spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir during the 10:00 GMT ambush some guns and rounds of ammunition including motor bombs were recovered.
"The two forces laid an ambush in Aglibax, north of Afmadow, killing six Al-Shabaab fighters and injured others," Chirchir said on Thursday.
He said the ambush, two AK rifles, 200 PKM rounds and four rounds of mortar bombs were recovered from the scene.
"We also recovered assorted drugs and medicine during the ambush," he said.
The ambush comes as the East African
nation’s troops are due to formally join the
African Union peacekeeping force (AMISOM) next week.
Kenya Defense Force (KDF) Director
of Military Operations Information Colonel Cyrus
Oguna said in Nairobi the exact date of the
redeployment as green-bereted AMISOM troops will
be known after a key meeting in Ethiopia on
Friday.
Oguna said the Addis Ababa meeting
will also decide how the expanded AU troops will
be deployed inside in the Horn of Africa nation
that will be divided into four sectors.
Kenyan forces that crossed into Somalia mid October last year have intensified military crackdown inside southern Somalia to push back Al-Shabaab, blamed by Kenya for a series of cross-border kidnappings.
Kenya launch cross incursion in
Somalia in Oct 16, 2011 to subdue Al-Shabaab the
east African nation blames for raids and kidnappings
particularly on its northern region.
The Kenyan troops have been moving
in all sectors in southern Somalia after making
several advances on key towns following a fierce
battle with the insurgents who have since joined
al-Qaida network.
The East African nation a has been beleaguered by a spate of grenade and landmine attacks since it launched cross border incursion into neighboring Somalia last month to pursue the al- Qaida allied Al-Shabaab militant group.
The troops have since "liberated" several towns in Southern Somalia but the ultimate aim is to capture Kismayu, regarded as the nerve centre of Al-Shabaab’s operations in the region.