Kenyan troops blamed in 7 Somalia deaths 24 (UPI) -- Kenyan troops allegedly shot and killed seven civilians while advancing on the al-Shabaab stronghold of Kismayo in Somalia, a military official said. Somali army spokesman Adan Mohamed Hirsi told the BBC he believed the shootings to be deliberate. "This incident is very hurtful," he said. Kenyan troops joined the pro-government African Union mission in Somalia one year ago after cross-border attacks allegedly by the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabaab group, the BBC reported. The African Union mission said it is investigating the incident. Five journalists were killed recently in Somalia, the Shabelle Media Network reported. Irina Bokova, director-general of the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, condemned the spate of journalist killings. "I am horrified by the sudden upsurge of violence targeting the media in Somalia," Bokova said. They are also an extreme violation of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of the press -- both essential for the construction and functioning of healthy democracies, and especially important in a nation trying to rebuild after so many years of conflict. The journalists were killed in three separate attacks: Hassan Youssouf Absuge, program director at Radio Mantaa died Friday; Liban Ali Nur, head of news at Somali National TV, Abdisatar Daher Sabriye, head of news at Radio Mogadishu, and Abdirahman Yasin Ali, director of Radio Hamar, were killed Thursday; and Zakariye Mohamed Moallim, an independent cameraman, was killed Sept.