|
Operation to flush out Shaboobs starts along the Kenya-Somali border
The [Kenyan] Government is carrying out a massive security mob up to flush out Somali based insurgents groups, who were seemingly regrouping along the Kenya-Somali common in readiness for a major terror attacks in Kenya.The al-Shabaab splinter group allied to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), who is tasked to carry out a bloody, terror attacks inside Kenya according to the government, has current out at least 3 daring attacks on vehicles plying along the Mandera – Nairobi road killing at least 8 people including 4 security officers among them an Officer Commanding a police station (OCS). Mandera County commissioner Fredrick Shisia who regretted that the Somali militants have renewed their terror attacks in the border county of after they have been contained for the last six month after a major shakeup was done on the top security brass in North-eastern region. The security shakeup saw the recall of Amb Mohamud Saleh, who has in the past ended banditry menace in the region from his ambassadorial position in Saud Arabia to help with his past experience in fixing insecurity threats in the area suffering from the curse of being close to the war-torn Somalia. Shisia disclosed the al-Shabaab hot spot areas earmarked for clean up as Fino, Omar Jillo, Arabia, Lafey and Dabacity all locations saddled arm stretch from the lawless Somalia. The areas have been frequent attack zones for the Shabaab as they border the Somalia border terrorists attack targets and disappear to terror cells in Somalia. On Sunday two police officers were killed, while two others were injured after the police land cruiser they were travelling in was hit with rocket propel grenade (RPG) by suspected Shabaab gunmen, who ambushed the incoming police vehicle. In a similar incident in the area Al Shabaab gunmen opened fire on a bus, killing two people at Dabacity, Elwak sub-county not far from the porous Somalia border, a day later two KDF officers en route to Mandera were killed near the same spot. Following the string of attacks, residents have been forced to live in fear, as the Somalia based terrorist group continue stepping up their attack campaign mainly targeting security officers and other government functionaries. The security operation will be conducted by a combined team of the military and police officers deployed to the region to track the attackers to their hide outs at the border with Somalia. Mandera Governor Ali Roba said that the trend of the attacks in the last two weeks has reached an alarming stage and could be precursor to a planned major series of attacks by the international outlawed insurgent armed group. “Within the last three weeks we have had more than seven terror incidents happening in Mandera, this raises a lot of concern because of the increased movements of terror cells in the region and soon we will be talking of a spread to other areas,” said Roba. Earlier this week, Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet warned of the imminent terror by Al Shabaab insurgents and warned Kenyans to be in the watch so as not to give the terrorists a chance to cause carnage or ham among Kenyans. Those now loyal to IS operate in the Mandera region, while the Al-Qaeda force is based in the south eastern Boni Forest district, police said. On Saturday, a suspected Al Shabaab fighter was killed by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) after it went off on him as he planned to plan it on a road to a dam commonly used by the security team for their patrols. Posted by: Steve White 2015-12-29 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=440167 |