The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers on Saturday night killed five members of the Al Shaaba militia during a foiled attack on Somali Security Forces (SSF) stationed in Bilis Qooqani.
In a statement on Sunday morning, KDF said about 20 Al Shabaab terrorists attacked the SSF station from three different directions at around 12:30am.
A KDF Unit operating under AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia), however, responded and successfully repulsed the attack.
“After Al gunfight, KDF troops had killed five (5) Al Shabaab terrorists, they also recovered five (5) AK 47 rifles and several rounds of ammunition, ” the statement reads.
“KDF will continue to work closely with SSF in support of operations to restore peace and reduce the threat posed by Al-Shabaab.
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“Additionally, KDF will continue to build capacity of SSF as well as assist them in stabilization, reconciliation and peacebuilding in Somalia.”
KDF soldiers moved into Somalia in 2011 in an operation dubbed Linda Nchi after a series of kidnappings along the Kenya-Somalia border.
In February 2012 Kenya agreed to re-hat its forces under the African Union Mission in Somalia AMISOM after capturing the port city of Kismayu.
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Kenya and other countries contributing soldiers to Amisom are expected to exit by December 2021.
The exit plan is contained in a new book, War for Peace: Kenya’s Military in the African Mission in Somalia, 2011-2020 that was recently launched by immediate former Chief of Defence Forces Samson Mwathethe.
The plan entails creating a stable, peaceful and prosperous Jubbaland as a corridor free of al-Shabaab.
This will involve establishing reforms in the Somali National Army and enabling the country’s security forces to lead operations towards sustainable peace.
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