KDF soldiers killed in deadly ambush

NAIROBI, Kenya - At least three Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] troops were on Tuesday killed in Lamu, within the coastal region of Kenya, spokesperson Col. Zipporah Kioki said, adding that the attackers used IEDs before ambushing the troops who were in regular patrol.

The incident, which is the first to take place within Kenyan soil in as many months, took place in the Baure area of Lamu along Bodhei-Kiunga Road, a notorious Al-Shabaab hot spot where the militants have been waging serious attacks against travelers and security forces.

Kenya Defense Forces have been working with other security agents to implement Operation Amani Boni, which targets to eliminate members of the Somalia-based terrorist group, who have often used the dense forest to execute deadly attacks in Kenya.

Col. Kioko said KDF is pursuing attackers having gotten credible information from residents. Without mentioning the number of injured soldiers, she added that they were responding well to treatment at Defense Forces Memorial Hospital in Nairobi.

"In support of current efforts, Baure area residents have shared credible information on the identities of sympathizers and attackers. The wounded personnel who were evacuated are responding well to treatment," she said.

"Regrettably, three soldiers succumbed to their injuries. The soldiers paid the ultimate price while protecting the citizens of Kenya," added the spokesperson, without disclosing the number of the attackers involved in the latest incident.

KDF, she noted, will continue working with other security agencies to restore peace in the perilous coastal belt, which is prone to Al-Shabaab attackers. Although the group carries such raids, it's yet to take responsibility.

"KDF remains unbowed and together with multi-agency security teams deployed under Operation Amani Boni, remains focused and has the resolve to help bring sustainable peace in the area," she said.

There is a heavy presence of KDF in Lamu, Garissa, Mandera, and Wajir counties due to persistent attackers by the Somalia-based militants. However, the group has not carried any major attack in Kenya for almost two months, an indication that it has been significantly subdued.

KDF has close to 3,500 soldiers working under the African Union Mission Forces in Somalia [AMISOM] and has often been a soft target for the group. Early this year, Mandera Governor Ali Roba claimed the group controls at least 60 percent of the county's landmass, a claim which the government of Kenya termed as "inaccurate".

GAROWE ONLINE