Kenya military kills 51 Al-Shabaab militants in Gedo
The Kenyan military killed 51 Al-Shabaab terrorists, including commanders, in a battle in Somalia, the Defence ministry said on Thursday.
The fighting took place at 3am in Jungal, about 40 kilometres from Bardhere in the Gedo region.
Kenya Defence Forces spokesman David Obonyo said among those killed were “middle-level commanders” who were responsible for terror attacks in Mandera.
“Jungal was one of the main Al-Shabaab planning and operations bases, which has seen an increase in militia activities recently. The strike is therefore a major setback to the militants,” he said in a statement.
Colonel Obonyo described it as a “major artillery bombardment”.
SOLDIER BURIED
This happened barely 24 hours after seven other Al-Shabaab terrorists were killed in a battle with Kenyan soldiers in Lagolie, a small township near Elade, also in the Gedo region.
Meanwhile, emotions on Thursday ran high in Garissa Town when a Kenya Defence Forces soldier killed in Somalia was laid to rest.
Ahmed Shale Dagane, who was killed in Elade in Gedo region, was accorded a hero's send-off witnessed by hundreds of people at Bula Ijara in Garissa.
Speaking to Nation.co.ke, Dagane’s son, Mr Daud Ahmed, said he last spoke to his father on Tuesday night where he called him to ask how they were faring.
REALLY SHOCKED
“My father first went to Somalia in December then came back on June where he stayed for almost a month. He would have been in Somalia until December,” he said.
“We are really shocked by the turn of events but we leave everything to almighty,” said the Fourth Year student at Mount Kenya University.
The father of the slain soldier, Mr Shale Dagane, described his son as hard-working and God-fearing.
The 75-year-old former paramount chief said his son joined military service about 30 years ago asked the government to take care of the soldier’s children.
