All news

Kenyan Defense Forces carry out air strikes against al-Shabaab militants in Somalia

Around 100 al-Shabaab fighters were killed in air strikes on Anole and Kuday in the Lower Juba Region in Somalia
Kenyan Air Force fighters (archive) AP Photo, File
Kenyan Air Force fighters (archive)
© AP Photo, File

PRETORIA, June 23. /ITAR-TASS/. Kenyan Defense Forces have carried out air strikes on two strongholds of the Islamic group al-Shabaab, killing around 100 militants, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) reported.

The targets were located in the settlements of Anole and Kuday in the Lower Juba Region in Somalia. More than 30 militants were killed in Anole, and more than 50 – in Kuday.

The air strikes followed a week after al-Shabaab attacked Kenya’s coastal towns of Mpeketoni and Paramoco, killing at least 60 people. The extremist group said it was a revenge for Kenya’s participation in the anti-terrorist operation of African Union (AU) forces on the territory of Somalia. Mahamat Saleh Annadif, AU Special Representative for Somalia and Head of AMISOM, vowed to continue fighting Islamist militants from al-Shabaab. "We will employ all the means at our disposal to end their reign of terror," he said.

Over the last years, AU forces managed to drive al-Shabaab out of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu and other cities. However, the extremist group has resorted to terror tactics and continues to control large areas in Somalia.