Lamu — Suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists militants on Monday killed two Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) soldiers and injured another at the common frontier with Somalia, police have said.
Divisional police commander Samson Obara, who confirmed the incident, said the officers were attacked by the terrorists insurgents who emerged from the bonny forest along Lamu-Malindi road on a Pick-Up vehicle.
"The KDF soldiers flagged them to stop but the terrorists militants defied the order and instead opened fire on the soldiers. This prompted the exchange of fire between the terrorists militants and our soldiers who later blew up the Pick-Up, killing the terrorists occupants on board," Obara said.
Kenyan soldiers have launched a major manhunt for the more than 10 terrorists militants who carried out the attack.
Obara did not confirm the number of terrorists insurgents who were killed. Sources told Xinhua that there were 26 KDF soldiers in the convoy.
"We received intelligence report of the night attack that targeted military truck by Al Shabaab terrorists militants that were ferrying food to a KDF patrol base in Ras Kamboni. Their vehicle got stuck at Milimani between Mangai and Basuba where an exchange of fire ensued," Obara said.
"A combined team of militant and police are pursuing the terrorists militants. We suspect some terrorists were injured and even killed," he added.
KDF spokesman Col. Willy Wesonga confirmed that one of the terrorists militants was killed during the exchange of fire between the soldiers and the terrorists insurgents.
He said the attack occurred along Kiunda area of Ras Kamboni where the soldiers were ambushed by the Al Shabaab terrorists suspects.
"Our soldiers ordered the vehicle in which the suspected terrorists militants were driving in but instead opened fire on our soldiers. We returned fire and killed one of the terrorists occupants in the Pick-Up and destroyed the vehicle," Wesonga told Xinhua by telephone.
He said the soldiers are in hot pursuit of the terrorists attackers whom they believe might have crossed into Somalia. |