Kenyan Security Forces Kill Suspected Al Shabaab Fighters

Kenyan security forces have killed 10 fighters from Somalia’s al Shabaab Islamist group in eastern Kenya, a government official said on Thursday.

Deputy County Commissioner of the Bura East sub-county, Thomas Bett, said they also recovered rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices after fighting the militants in the village of Galmagalla in Garissa County.

“The operation to flush out the Somalia militants’ group in the region was carried out by our multi-agency team and they managed to neutralise 10 Islamist group militants and recovered assault weapons,” he said.

Meanwhile, spokespersons for al Shabaab, who frequently have their phones switched off, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Al Shabaab has attacked targets within Kenya for years to pressure the country into withdrawing its troops from the African Union-mandated peacekeeping force helping Somalia’s central government fight the group.

The Islamists have targeted security forces, schools, vehicles, towns, and telecoms infrastructure in the northeast and eastern Kenya, though the frequency and intensity of their attacks have declined in recent years.

Last week, the group killed four workers from Kenya’s highway authority when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive on a road in Garissa County.

REUTERS/Christopher Ojilere