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Kenya denies Garissa attack mastermind killed in Somalia raid

Xinhua, July 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Kenya's military said Thursday that mastermind of the April Garissa University attack Mohamed Mohamud, alias Gamadhere, was not among the 51 Al-Shabaab militants killed by Africa Union forces in southern Somalia.

The Ministry of Interior spokesman Mwenda Njoka had earlier indicated that Gamadhere believed to have been behind the dreadful Garissa University attack which left over 148 people mainly students dead and over 70 others injured had been killed in the attack.

Njoka later clarified that the slain militant was Jamaa Dhere and not Gamadhere, a former madrassa teacher who hails from Garissa in northern Kenya bordering Somalia.

Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) spokesman Colonel David Obonyo said during the attack on Thursday, 11 technical vehicles were also destroyed following a major artillery bombardment against the insurgents in Jungal, 15 km northwest of Tarako and 40km West of Bardhere in Gedo region.

"Fifty one Al-Shabaab militants were killed including several middle-level commanders who have been responsible for attacks in Mandera area ( northeast Kenya)," Obonyo said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

He said Jungal was one of the main Al-Shabaab planning and operations bases in Gedo region which has seen an increase in militia activities recently. "The strike at Jungal is therefore a major setback to the militants," Obonyo said.

According to Kenyan and Somalia officials, among those killed in the raid are Al-Shabaab leaders Dhere, Ismail Jabhadi and one intelligence chief of Al-Shabaab Tohow.

Residents in the Tarako region said AMISOM troops have recovered Tarako location which links Bardhere to Elwaq district at the Kenyan border and is said to be important supply route for Al-Shabaab.

Obonyo said AMISOM operations will continue to engage the militia and ensure that its mandate to stabilize the Horn of Africa nation is fully achieved.

"The entry of KDF under AMISOM into Gedo is part of the efforts to prevent infiltration of the militants into Kenya through the common border and safeguard the pace and security of Kenya," Obonyo said. Endi