MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Al Shabaab said its fighters killed dozens of Kenyan troops when the Islamist group attacked a remote military base in Somalia on Friday, while Kenya’s army said nine soldiers died and 70 militants were killed.

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Paul Njuguna said that al Shabaab’s fighters had attempted to attack their base in the southern town of Kulbiyow, near the Kenyan border, but were repulsed.

A spokesman for al Shabaab, which often launches attacks on troops of the African Union’s AMISOM force, said its fighters killed at least 66 Kenyans at the base. The group had said earlier it lost fighters but did not give numbers.

Njuguna said the attack was launched around dawn on Friday, when al Shabaab fighters used a vehicle packed with explosives to try to blast their way into the camp of the Kenya Defence Forces.

Al Shabaab gave a similar account of how the attack was launched. Its military operation spokesman, Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, told Reuters fighters rammed two suicide car bombs into the base and seized it. “We are pursuing the Kenyan soldiers who ran away into the woods,” he said.

Al Shabaab, whose assessment of casualties often differs markedly from official versions, typically rams the entrance to a target site with a car or truck bomb so fighters can storm in.

The Islamist group has been fighting for years to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on Somalia.

It once ruled much of Somalia and wants to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and drive out the peacekeeping force made up of soldiers from Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, Ethiopia and other African countries.

African Union and Somali troops have pushed its fighters from major urban strongholds and ports, including the capital Mogadishu in 2011, but they have often struggled to defend smaller, more remote areas from attacks.

In January 2016, al Shabaab said it had killed more than 100 Kenyan soldiers in El Adde, a Somali camp near the border with Kenya. The military did not give details of casualties in that attack, but Kenyan media reports suggested a toll of that magnitude.

Njuguna said 15 wounded soldiers were airlifted on Friday to Nairobi for treatment, and that Kenyan forces were pursuing the rest of al Shabaab’s fighters.</s>Death toll in Somalia hotel blast rises to 26, police say

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — A Somali police official says the death toll in Wednesday's attack on a hotel in the capital, Mogadishu, has risen to 26.

Capt. Mohamed Hussein says 52 others were injured in the assault that began with a suicide car bomb exploding at the hotel gate. He says some of the victims who suffered horrific wounds died in hospitals.

Islamic extremist group al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The homegrown extremist group is also announcing that it has killed three Somalis it says collaborated with the CIA and Kenyan and Somali governments.

Pro-al-Shabab websites say the three men were accused of helping in carrying out airstrikes against al-Shabab officials.

The sites say the men were killed in a public square in Yaqbarawe, a town in the southwest.</s>The Islamist group al Shabaab said on Friday its fighters killed dozens of Kenyan troops when they attacked a remote military base in Somalia the previous day, a claim the Kenyan army denied.

A spokesman for al Shabaab, which often launches attacks on troops of the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), said its fighters killed at least 57 Kenyans at the base in the southern town of Kulbiyow, near the Kenyan border.

“We are pursuing the Kenyan soldiers who ran away into the woods.

“Two mujahideen (fighters) rammed suicide car bombs into the base in Kulbiyow town before storming it,” he said, adding that as well as counting 57 Kenyan bodies, the group seized vehicles and weapons.

“We have taken over the base.”

Al Shabaab, whose assessment of casualties often differs markedly from official versions, typically rams the entrance to a target site with a car or truck bomb so fighters can storm in.

The group, which once ruled much of Somalia, wants to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and drive out the peacekeepers made up of soldiers from Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, Ethiopia and other African countries.

Driven out from the capital Mogadishu in 2011, al Shabaab has been fighting for years to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on Somalia.

African Union and Somali troops have driven al Shabaab fighters from major urban strongholds and ports, but they have often struggled to defend smaller, more remote areas from attacks.

“That is false,” Kenyan military spokesman Lt. Col. Paul Njuguna told Reuters, in reference to al Shabaab’s claim that 57 soldiers were killed although he did not give any casualty figures.

“The operation is ongoing. We are receiving updates,” the officer added.

Kenyan television channel NTV reported in a headline that “several KDF (Kenya Defence Forces) soldiers believed killed” in the raid and heavy fighting was reported.

In January 2016, al Shabaab said it had killed more than 100 Kenyan soldiers in El Adde, a Somali camp near the border with Kenya.

The Kenyan military never gave details of casualties, but Kenya media reports suggested a toll of that magnitude.</s>Islamic militants in Somalia claim to have killed dozens of Kenyan troops after their fighters overran a remote military base in the country.

A spokesman for al-Shabaab, which has been fighting an insurgency in Somalia for more than a decade, said its fighters killed at least 57 Kenyans deployed with a regional peacekeeping mission at the base in Kulbiyow, near the Kenyan border.

Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab told Reuters news agency the group was still pursuing “the Kenyan soldiers who ran away into the woods” after Friday morning’s attack.

He described how two fighters drove suicide car bombs into the Kulbiyow base before others stormed it, killing the soldiers and seizing vehicles and weapons. “We have taken over the base,” he said.

Residents told the Voice of America that al-Shabaab fighters appeared to be burning vehicles and buildings.

A statement from the Kenyan ministry of defence said its troops had been attacked at the base by militants using two car bombs. “[Kenyan] soldiers repulsed the terrorists, killing scores … Currently an intensive pacification operation is under way reinforced by our air and land forces,” the statement said.

A series of attacks by al-Shabaab have underlined its resilience in the face of a decade-long effort to eradicate the group in the east African state.

Earlier this week at least 28 people died in an attack, for which al-Shabaab claimed responsibility, on a hotel in the capital of Mogadishu.

Along with the high-profile targets in Mogadishu and elsewhere, the group, an affiliate of the veteran jihadi organisation al-Qaida, has launched at least four major attacks on military bases in recent years.

In January 2016, al-Shabaab said it had killed more than 100 Kenyan soldiers at their base in El Adde, near the border. The Kenyan military never gave details of casualties, but credible reports by analysts and media in the region, as well as statements by local politicians, suggested the toll may have been higher.

The group, which once controlled much of Somalia, wants to derail presidential polls currently under way, topple the western-backed government and drive out the regional peacekeeping force, African Union Mission in Somalia.

The losses at El Adde last year were a major embarrassment for Kenya. The heavy defeat was based on poor intelligence, a breakdown in communication between different national units within AMISOM, insensitivity towards local communities and basic failures to enforce security around the base.

Repeated campaigns by tens of thousands of African Union and Somali troops, some trained by US special forces, have driven al-Shabaab from major urban strongholds and ports, but they have often struggled to defend smaller, more remote areas.

Donald Trump has yet to signal any firm direction on policy in Africa, but analysts believe the incoming US president will prioritise security issues, particularly the fight against al-Shabab, al-Qaida and Isis affiliates, such as Boko Haram in Nigeria. In recent years the US has significantly increased its military and counter-terrorism presence on the continent.

The international community has pinned its strategy on successful elections for a new president and national assembly in Somalia. The poll, due to have been completed last year, has been billed by backers as the country’s first truly democratic election for decades, but it has been tarnished by delays, violence and allegations of endemic corruption.

AMISOM too has difficulties. Last year Kenya, which contributes 3,600 troops to the 20,000 strong force, and Uganda, which has more than 6,000 troops in Somalia, threatened to withdraw their soldiers if western nations did not plug funding gaps. A number of Ethiopian troops have already been withdrawn.

The US has been conducting drone strikes and other attacks against al-Shabaab for many years. Last year one strike killed more than 150 militants at a training camp. Others have killed senior leaders. 



Trump is expected to name Somalia among seven Muslim-majority countries from which refugees will be banned from entering the US.</s>The Islamist group al Shabaab said its fighters killed dozens of Kenyan troops when they attacked a remote military base in Somalia on Friday, while Kenya’s army dismissed the report and said “scores” of militants were killed.

A spokesman for al Shabaab, which often launches attacks on troops of the African Union’s AMISOM force, said its fighters killed at least 66 Kenyans at the base in the southern town of Kulbiyow, near the Kenyan border.

Al Shabaab said it lost fighters but did not give numbers.

Kenyan military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Paul Njuguna denied the claim that al Shabaab had killed dozens of soldiers but did not give any casualty figures.

In a statement, he said al Shabaab attackers used a vehicle packed with explosives to try to blast their way into the camp of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). “KDF soldiers repulsed the terrorists, killing scores,” he said.

Njuguna said the attack was launched around dawn on Friday.

In January 2016, al Shabaab said it had killed more than 100 Kenyan soldiers in El Adde, a Somali camp near the border with Kenya. The military never gave details of casualties, but Kenya media reports suggested a toll of that magnitude.

Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operation spokesman, had told Reuters al Shabaab fighters rammed two suicide car bombs into the base and seized it. “We are pursuing the Kenyan soldiers who ran away into the woods,” he said.

Al Shabaab, whose assessment of casualties often differs markedly from official versions, typically rams the entrance to a target site with a car or truck bomb so fighters can storm in.

The Islamist group, which once ruled much of Somalia, wants to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and drive out the peacekeeping force made up of soldiers from Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, Ethiopia and other African countries.

Al Shabaab has been fighting for years to impose its strict interpretation of Islam on Somalia.

African Union and Somali troops have driven its fighters from major urban strongholds and ports, including the capital Mogadishu in 2011, but they have often struggled to defend smaller, more remote areas from attacks</s>Mogadishu, Jan 27 (IANS) Militant group Al-Shabaab on Friday attacked and overran a military camp manned by Kenyan soldiers under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) in a small town near the Kenya-Somalia border.

Residents in the remote town of Kulbiyow said casualties were feared after explosions and gunfire broke out between the military and militants, Xinhua news agency reported.

Neither of Kenyan or Somalian military have confirmed the number of casualties yet, but residents said the attack was deadly.

The residents said the militants were seen moving weapons and military vehicles out of the devastated base.

According to reports, several bodies in Kenyan military uniforms could be seen at the scene.

The Kenyan military said it sent reinforcements which was able to destroy two vehicles loaded with IEDs within the vicinity of their Forward Operating Base in Kulbiyow, near the border.

The attack came a year after the Al Qaeda-allied terrorist group killed an unknown number of soldiers at a Kenyan Defence Forces base in Gedo region.

Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the January 15, 2016 attack saying it had taken over the base and killed more than 63 soldiers.

It has vowed more reprisal attacks in the neighbouring country, mainly targeting security forces in border towns of northern Kenya.

The group, which has also teamed up with the Islamic State, has vowed an all-out war in Kenya, in retaliation against its military incursion “against our brothers in Somalia”.</s>MOGADISHU - The militant group al Shabaab said its fighters killed dozens of Kenyan troops when they attacked a remote military base in Somalia on Friday, while Kenya's army dismissed the report and said "scores" of militants were killed.

A spokesman for al Shabaab, which often launches attacks on troops of the African Union's AMISOM force, said its fighters killed at least 66 Kenyans at the base in the southern town of Kulbiyow, near the Kenyan border.

Al Shabaab said it lost fighters but did not give numbers. Kenyan military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Paul Njuguna denied the claim that al Shabaab had killed dozens of soldiers but did not give any casualty figures.

In a statement, he said al Shabaab attackers used a vehicle packed with explosives to try to blast their way into the camp of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). "KDF soldiers repulsed the terrorists, killing scores," he said. Njuguna said the attack was launched around dawn on Friday.

In January 2016, al Shabaab said it had killed more than 100 Kenyan soldiers in El Adde, a Somali camp near the border with Kenya. The military never gave details of casualties, but Kenya media reports suggested a toll of that magnitude.

Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's military operation spokesman, had told Reuters al Shabaab fighters rammed two suicide car bombs into the base and seized it. "We are pursuing the Kenyan soldiers who ran away into the woods," he said.

Al Shabaab, whose assessment of casualties often differs markedly from official versions, typically rams the entrance to a target site with a car or truck bomb so fighters can storm in.

The militant group, which once ruled much of Somalia, wants to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and drive out the peacekeeping force made up of soldiers from Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, Ethiopia and other African countries.

Al Shabaab has been fighting for years to impose its own interpretation of Islam on Somalia.

African Union and Somali troops have driven its fighters from major urban strongholds and ports, including the capital Mogadishu in 2011, but they have often struggled to defend smaller, more remote areas from attacks. "Fighters have taken control of the base and the overall Kolbiyow area after massacring the Kenyan infidels," the statement said.

Shabaab frequently overstates the death toll from its attacks while Kenya commonly underplays its losses.

In January last year a Kenyan base at El-Adde was attacked and overrun by Shabaab fighters who claimed to have killed over 100 Kenyan soldiers. The government refused to give its own toll.

The Shabaab, which once controlled much of Somalia, is fighting to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu.

It launches regular attacks on government, military and civilian targets and has carried out a series of deadly assaults against foreign soldiers deployed in Somalia. The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is a 22,000-strong force comprising soldiers from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

Over the last two years Shabaab has rampaged through bases manned by Burundian soldiers in Lego, Ugandan troops in Janale and the Kenyans in El-Adde, inflicting high casualties and stealing military equipment each time.

The Kolbiyow raid is the second major attack this week in Somalia, coming three days after 28 people were killed when Shabaab bombers and fighters attacked a hotel in the capital.

Somalia is due to hold a presidential vote in early February, signalling the end of a drawn-out electoral process in which a new parliament has also been selected.

Political infighting and ongoing insecurity scuppered plans for a universal vote in 2016, with lawmakers elected by specially selected delegates.

Somalia has not had an effective central government since the 1991 overthrow of president Siad Barre's military regime, which ushered in more than two decades of anarchy and conflict in a country deeply divided along clan lines.</s>MOGADISHU (BLOOMBERG) - Al-Shabaab attacked a Kenyan army base in southern Somalia on Friday (Jan 27) and claimed at least 51 soldiers died in the assault.

Fighters struck the base at Kulbiyow with rocket-propelled grenades, Mr Mohamed Kus, a resident of the town, said by phone. Farah Ahmed, a Somali army officer, said the militants also used assault rifles.

Al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with Al-Qaeda, has waged an insurgency in the Horn of Africa nation since 2006 in a bid to impose its version of Islamic law. While the group was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 by government and African Union forces, it continues to stage deadly gun and bomb attacks.

The Islamist militants gave details of the attack in a statement on Radio Andalus, a pro-insurgency broadcaster, and said that equipment and ammunition was also seized in the raid. Kenya Defence Forces spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Njuguna confirmed the attack and said there had been casualties.

"A big operation is currently ongoing, nobody has had time to count casualties, mostly on their side," he said by phone from Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.

He said Al-Shabaab's claim that it had killed tens of Kenyan soldiers as "propaganda".

In January 2016, the Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents attacked a Kenyan camp near the border at El Adde and claimed 100 Kenyan soldiers were killed. The Kenyan government acknowledged the fatalities, without giving its own toll.</s>MOGADISHU: Somalia's militant al Shabaab group said on Friday its fighters have seized a remote military base from Kenyan soldiers serving in an African Union force after an early morning attack.

The group, which once ruled much of Somalia, wants to topple the Western-backed government in Mogadishu and drive out the peacekeepers made up of soldiers from Kenya, Djibouti, Uganda, Ethiopia and other African nations.

"Two mujahideen rammed suicide car bombs into the base in Kulbiyow town before storming it. After hand-to-hand fighting, we have taken over the base," said Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab's military operation spokesman.</s>Al-Shabaab attacked a Kenyan army base in southern Somalia yesterday ,claiming it killed no fewer than 51 soldiers in the process.Armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles,the terrosists struck the Kulbiyow base catching the soldiers unawares.But the Kenyan defence authorities denied the death of any of its soldiers saying that instead the attack was repelled and ‘scores’ of the extremists killed.The Islamist militants gave details of the attack in a statement on Radio Andalus, a pro-insurgency broadcaster, and said that equipment and ammunition was also seized in the raid.However, Kenya Defence Forces spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Njuguna confirmed the attack but denied there had been casualties.“A big operation is currently ongoing, nobody has had time to count casualties, mostly on their side,” he said by phone from Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.He dismissed as ‘propaganda’ al-Shabaab’s claim that it had killed tens of Kenyan soldiers .Al-Shabaab, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, has waged an insurgency in the Horn of Africa nation since 2006 in a bid to impose its version of Islamic law.Although it was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 by government and African Union forces, it continues to stage deadly gun and bomb attacks.In January 2016, the al-Qaeda-linked insurgents attacked a Kenyan camp near the border at El Adde and claimed 100 Kenyan soldiers were killed.The Kenyan government acknowledged the fatalities, without giving its own toll.
Al-Shabaab militants attack a remote AMISOM base in southern Somalia, claiming to have killed dozens of Kenyan troops.