( CNN ) -- Kenya 's military controls half of the Somalian port city of Kismayo as it tries to drive out the al Qaeda-linked militant group Al-Shabaab from one of its last strongholds , a military spokesman said Saturday . Kenyan and Somali ground forces are in control of the northern part , which is the old city , after a day and a half of fighting , spokesman Cyrus Oguna told CNN . They are consolidating the areas they have gained before moving into the south , where the Islamic militant group is believed to be , he said . The military launched airstrikes against the group Saturday . `` Al-Shabaab has not been able to offer any resistance whatsoever to the ground forces since the ground forces landed there yesterday , and the whole of yesterday and the good part of today they have ( suffered ) heavy casualties , '' Oguna said . More : Mogadishu bombing kills Somali broadcaster . The Kenya Defense Forces inflicted `` massive destruction '' on Al-Shabaab 's infrastructure Saturday , using jets and helicopter gunships to destroy three of the group 's bases , according to the military 's official Twitter account . `` Great care and caution has been exercised to avoid collateral damage , '' it said . But in a series of posts Saturday on a Twitter account often used by Al-Shabaab , the group said the Kenyan military is `` waging a losing battle '' in Kismayo . It said mujahedeen forces ambushed Kenyan troops 30 km ( 18 miles ) west of Kismayo , destroying three vehicles and killing dozens of troops in a two-hour battle . Oguna said those reports are `` pure propaganda . '' `` There has been no major ground forces engagement , '' he said . Kenya 's military makes up the majority of troops in an African Union offensive to drive Al-Shabaab out of Somalia , where the group has long tried to overthrow the government . Al-Shabaab has suffered setbacks in the fight , including losing control of much of the capital , Mogadishu , last year . That made Kismayo even more critical for the group , which uses the port to profit from the illegal charcoal trade and smuggling operations . More : Soldiers killed in blast targeting Somali president . Thousands of civilians fled the city this month as fighting loomed , according to the U.N. refugee agency . It said that Somalis were leaving in minibuses , in trucks and on donkey carts . `` Great care and caution has been exercised to avoid collateral damage , '' the Kenyan military said Saturday . Since crossing into Somalia in October , Kenyan commanders and politicians have stated more than once that capturing Kismayo was the ultimate aim of their operation . The military 's operation to take Kismayo began with airstrikes and naval gun support three days before the ground troops arrived , Oguna said . Twitter postings Friday from Kenya 's prime minister and deputy prime minister congratulating the military on capturing Kismayo actually referred to the ground forces ' arrival in the city , Oguna said .
The Kenyan military says it controls half of Kismayo . A Kenyan spokesman says Al-Shabaab is suffering leavy losses . TL;DR The militant group has long tried to overthrow the Somali government .