MOGADISHU, Somalia – At least three Kenyan soldiers were reportedly wounded on Sunday in an ambush attack on their base in Lafey town, Mandera County, near the border with Somalia. The attack occurred in the Allunga area, where a group of fighters engaged in a firefight with Kenyan troops.
In a statement, Al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked group, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had wounded three soldiers. The group did not say if any of its militants were killed or injured. Kenyan authorities have yet to comment on the claims.
This comes just three days after the group claimed it had killed six soldiers, wounded four others, and burned a vehicle with a mounted machine gun in El Wak town in the same county.
On Friday, Kenya’s police said its forces killed a suspect during an exchange of gunfire with al-Shabaab in the Najo area of Fafi, Garissa County, during an operation. They also seized a cache of weapons, including an RPG, detonators, and other materials.
Since 2011, Kenya has lost hundreds of people in al-Shabab attacks in border areas such as Mandera, Wajir, Lamu, and Garissa, which have crippled development in the region.
Al-Shabab has vowed to continue its attacks until Kenya withdraws its military personnel, who are part of the African Union peacekeeping mission to stabilize Somalia.
Despite the group’s threats, Kenya has agreed to contribute troops to a new African Union mission set to begin next year in Somalia, after the current mission ends on December 31.
