KDF: How we hit Shabaab fighters

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Monday claimed it employed both ground and air operations to kill over 100 Al-Shabaab militants who executed 28 Kenyans in Mandera on Saturday.

The Department of Defence (DoD) Monday said ground troops and helicopter gunships killed the attackers at three locations — one inside Kenya and two in Somalia.

The number of militants said to have been killed has since been revised to 115 militants in the two attacks on Al-Shabaab camps 20 kilometres inside Somalia. Deputy President William Ruto had announced that 100 had been killed.

DoD spokesman David Obonyo revealed in a statement that ground troops killed the first group of 20 attackers in the Arabia Hills, a few kilometres from the scene of Saturday’s massacre.

Another 50 fighters were killed at their camp in Godondowe, 21km from the Kenya-Somalia border, according to the military. Another 45 gunmen who had escaped with injuries at the Godondowe Camp were killed by KDF fighter jets 10km away, at the camp, on Sunday, he said.

“KDF ground troops and helicopter gunships pursued the terrorists who killed 28 Kenyans in that heinous attack. At least 20 were killed in the Arabia Hills along the Kenya-Somali border while fleeing to their operational camp,” said Col Obonyo.

He went on: “Subsequently, aerial surveillance identified the Al-Shabaab operational base camp near the Somalia-Kenya border. KDF fighter jets destroyed the camp, killing 50 militants. Night surveillance on the area showed that some of the injured had been moved on donkey carts to a makeshift camp 10km from Godondowe, he said.

Col Obonyo said the new camp, which he did not name, was destroyed by KDF fighter jets on Sunday at noon.

A graphic said to depict the attacks and released as proof of mission success contained images similar to some released by Amisom last year.

Deputy President William Ruto's full statement on the retaliatory attacks by KDF