1st LD-Writethru: Kenyan troops kill 21 Al-Shabaab militants, seize weapons in Somalia

Kenya's military said Wednesday its soldiers killed 21 Al-Shabaab fighters and recovered weapons during an ambush in Hawina area in southern Somalia.

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesman Col. David Obonyo said the troops under the African Union peacekeeping mission (AMISOM) also killed a junior-level Al-Shabaab commander who is believed to have been in-charge of the group.

"The troops, who were en route to Tabda from Dobley, while approaching Hawina, were shot at by a lone Al-Shabaab terrorist who fled the scene," Obonyo said.

He said the Kenyan soldiers started patrolling the area to flush out Al-Shabaab terrorists following the ambush and later engaged the militants who were attempting to mount an ambush along the road to Tabda.

"The firefight that ensued resulted in the killing of the 21 terrorists with no casualties on KDF. 17 AK-47 rifles, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, five RPGs and assorted ammunition were recovered after the incident," Obonyo said.

The KDF spokesman said the troops who have been fighting the insurgents since 2011 will remain vigilant and continue its efforts against Al-Shabaab terrorists and their attempts to destabilise the region.

Kenya is currently engaged in the fight against the militia group in southern Somalia where it has been registering impressive gains and extending humanitarian assistance to the local population.

The East African nation has more than 4,000 troops in the 22,000-strong AU force in Somalia helping the UN-backed government battle Al-Shabaab, which is part of the Al-Qaida allied terror network.

Al-Shabaab has however, vowed reprisal attacks in the country, mainly targeting security forces in border towns of northern Kenya where dozens of people have been killed in landmine and grenade attacks blamed on the militant group. Endit