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| Africa Horn |
| Kenya warns of air strikes across southern and central Somalia |
| 2011-11-02 |
| Military tells residents to avoid al-Shabaab camps as it mounts attacks to destroy weapons recently obtained by militants Kenyan forces plan to carry out air strikes on Islamist rebel camps across southern and central Somalia to destroy weapons the military says were flown into the anarchic Horn of Africa country in the past two days. Military spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir used Twitter to warn residents of 10 towns across Somalia that they would be "under attack continuously". He told the Guardian that residents should stay away from al-Shabaab camps in the towns because Kenyan forces, which crossed the border into neighbouring Somalia in mid-October to battle the militants, would be attacking soon. The locations include the port town of Kismayo, an al-Shabaab stronghold, Baidoa, Afmadow and Afgoye, near the capital Mogadishu. Chirchir said two consignments of weapons had been flown into Baidoa, 170 miles north-west of Mogadishu, on Monday and Tuesday. He said he did not know where the weapons came from but that they were destined for the southern frontline where Kenyan and Somali government forces, as well as allied militias, are trying to push al-Shabaab forces from the territory they control. "If it is confirmed that a particular (al-Shabaab) camp has received those weapons, we'll get there," he said. "We are asking the people of Somalia to avoid being close to al-Shabaab, especially the camps," he said. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #1 Lots of unusual happenings recently in this region, what is the take on the area popping off into large open war(s)? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2011-11-02 08:05 |