THE AMBUSH COMES AS THE EAST AFRICAN NATION’S
TROOPS ARE DUE TO FORMALLY JOIN THE AFRICAN UNION
PEACE KEEPING FORCE (AMISOM) NEXT WEEK
SPECIAL REPORT BY XINHUA CORRESPONDENT PETER MUTAI
NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Troops from Kenya and Somali government on Friday caught up in an Al Shabaab ambush lost 153 men, in one of the most deadliest surprise attacks. 153 soldiers mostly Kenyan killed and dozens of others injured during an ambush in southern Somali town of Afmadow in the latest Al Shabaab offensive on the allied forces of Kenya, Ethiopia and TFG forces, military official said.
Kenya’s Military Spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir during the 10:00 GMT ambush some guns and rounds of ammunition including motor bombs were recovered.
"Al Shabaab forces laid an ambush in Aglibax, north of Afmadow, killing 153 Kenyan and TFG forces and injured others," Chirchir said on Saturday.
He said the ambush, two AK rifles, 200 PKM rounds and four rounds of mortar bombs were recovered from the scene.
"We also recovered assorted drugs and medicine during the ambush," he said.
The ambush comes as the East African nation’s troops are due to formally join the African Union peacekeeping force (AMISOM) next week.
Kenya Defense Force (KDF) Director of Military Operations Information Colonel Cyrus Oguna said in Nairobi the exact date of the redeployment as green-bereted AMISOM troops will be known after a key meeting in Ethiopia on Friday.
Oguna said the Addis Ababa meeting will also decide how the expanded AU troops will be deployed inside in the Horn of Africa nation that will be divided into four sectors.
Kenyan forces that crossed into Somalia mid October last year have intensified military crackdown inside southern Somalia to push back Al-Shabaab, blamed by Kenya for a series of cross-border kidnappings.
Kenya launch cross incursion in Somalia in Oct 16, 2011 to subdue Al-Shabaab the east African nation blames for raids and kidnappings particularly on its northern region.
The Kenyan troops have been moving in all sectors in southern Somalia after making several advances on key towns following a fierce battle with the insurgents who have since joined al-Qaida network.
The East African nation a has been beleaguered by a spate of grenade and landmine attacks since it launched cross border incursion into neighboring Somalia last month to pursue the al- Qaida allied Al-Shabaab militant group.
The troops have since "liberated" several towns in Southern Somalia but the ultimate aim is to capture Kismayu, regarded as the nerve centre of Al-Shabaab’s operations in the region.
