Somalia: Five killed, eight injured in KDF shelling in Gedo

EL WAK, Somalia- At least five civilians were killed, and up to 8 others wounded in ground and aerial bombardments on densely populated residential areas in Gedo region on Sunday, Garowe Online reports.

The Kenyan air and ground forces bombed Dhamase and Nus Duriq areas near El Wak town in Gedo region, targeting training camps belonging to the Al Qaeda-linked terror group Al shabaab.

Residents who did not want to be named, confirmed to GO that Kenya military forces have indiscriminately fired mortar rounds on Dhamase, which lies approximately 15 km away from El Wak town.

El Wak is situated around 600 km south of the capital Mogadishu and near Somalia's border with Kenya.

KDF jets have carried out an airstrike on Nus Diriq area near El Ade, where scores of Kenyan soldiers were killed by Al shabaab fighters in 15 January this year.

Both ground and airstrikes have claimed the lives of five innocent civilians, while 8 others have sustained wounds in the indiscriminate shelling by Kenyan military.

KDF - Kenyan defense forces who are currently serving under African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have been accused of conducting arbitrary strikes on civilians targets in Gedo and Jubba region in southern Somalia.

Kenyan troops crossed into Somalia in October, 2011 to defeat Al shabaab after series of attacks and kidnappings on its soil by the Somalia-based Islamists.

GAROWEONLINE