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Al-Shabab fighters attack Kenya military base in Somalia | Al-Shabab fighters attack Kenya military base in Somalia |
(about 3 hours later) | |
Islamist militant al-Shabab fighters have launched an attack on a Kenyan military base in southern Somalia. | Islamist militant al-Shabab fighters have launched an attack on a Kenyan military base in southern Somalia. |
The al-Qaeda-linked group says it has killed more than 50 soldiers and seized military vehicles and weapons. | The al-Qaeda-linked group says it has killed more than 50 soldiers and seized military vehicles and weapons. |
But a Kenyan military spokesman said the dawn attack was repelled, the base was not overrun and scores of insurgents were killed in the fighting. | But a Kenyan military spokesman said the dawn attack was repelled, the base was not overrun and scores of insurgents were killed in the fighting. |
A year ago al-Shabab carried out a similar attack on a Kenyan base in the town el-Ade. | A year ago al-Shabab carried out a similar attack on a Kenyan base in the town el-Ade. |
In that raid the Islamist group said it had killed more than 100 soldiers, but the Kenyan government refused to give its casualty figures. | In that raid the Islamist group said it had killed more than 100 soldiers, but the Kenyan government refused to give its casualty figures. |
Kenya's ministry of defence spokesman has not confirmed the deaths of any soldiers in the latest attack. | Kenya's ministry of defence spokesman has not confirmed the deaths of any soldiers in the latest attack. |
Lt Col Paul Njuguna, however, did say that soldiers had killed "scores" of al-Shabab fighters when the attackers tried to enter the camp in Kolbiyow, near the Kenyan border, after setting off a car bomb. | Lt Col Paul Njuguna, however, did say that soldiers had killed "scores" of al-Shabab fighters when the attackers tried to enter the camp in Kolbiyow, near the Kenyan border, after setting off a car bomb. |
Who controls Somalia? | |
Al-Shabab says it has taken control of the base and surrounding area, according to the AFP news agency. | Al-Shabab says it has taken control of the base and surrounding area, according to the AFP news agency. |
Kenya contributes more than 3,600 troops to the Africa Union mission helping the UN-backed government tackle al-Shabab in Somalia. | Kenya contributes more than 3,600 troops to the Africa Union mission helping the UN-backed government tackle al-Shabab in Somalia. |
Lessons not learnt - Tomi Oladipo, BBC Monitoring Africa Security Correspondent | |
It appears lessons have not been learnt from the attack on the Kenyan base in el-Ade town last year. Regardless of the death toll this time, al-Shabab's audacity to repeat such an assault on a location where the Kenyans should be strongest reveals how much work still needs to be done in counterinsurgency. | |
The attack will also spur calls in Kenya for a review of its ambitions to stabilise its north-eastern neighbour, where it first sent soldiers in October 2011. | |
There appears to be a view in the government that the greater the silence about its losses in the battlefield, the less criticism it will receive. There are still unanswered questions from el-Ade, with some families of slain soldiers left in the dark about the fate of their loved ones. | |
One year later, this latest attack is proving that there is only so much that the Kenya and African Union mission can sweep under the carpet. | |
Attacks on Amisom troops | Attacks on Amisom troops |
2016 | 2016 |
2015 | 2015 |
2011 | 2011 |