NAIROBI, Kenya — A lone gunman entered a navy base in Somalia and killed at the least three Kenyan peacekeepers Monday, the newest assault by extremist fighters who oppose the presence of foreigners within the Horn of Africa nation, in response to Kenya’s navy.
The gunman fired his rifle indiscriminately, wounding 5 different troopers earlier than he was gunned down, mentioned a Kenyan navy official who requested anonymity as a result of he was not but licensed to disclose the knowledge.
The assault on Monday morning came about on the Sarira Ahead Working Base within the Decrease Jubba area of southern Somalia close to the border with Kenya.
Al-Shabab by way of its media confirmed it had carried out the assault.
“We consider the lone wolf was testing the bottom for extra such incidents. We should be extra cautious and vigilant,” mentioned the Kenyan navy official. “As we close to the festivities, we should be very vigilant of our environment. The fear risk remains to be rife and all measures needs to be taken to tame any plan.”
Kenyan authorities are also urging vigilance after the beginning of the soccer World Cup in Qatar. In 2010, at the least 76 individuals had been killed when al-Shabab focused a rugby membership and a restaurant within the Ugandan capital, Kampala, the place clients had been watching the World Cup ultimate on big screens.
“It’s at the moment the militants know we would let our guard down as we watch” the World Cup, the official mentioned.
Kenyan troops, who’re deployed to Somalia below the banner of the African Union, are lively alongside the border with Somalia. Peacekeepers from Burundi and Uganda are based mostly in or close to the Somali capital of Mogadishu, the seat of the federal authorities.
In recent times, al-Shabab fighters have launched cross-border assaults, particularly within the distant Kenyan counties of Mandera and Garissa, after breaching safety zones.
The assaults have killed or wounded dozens of civilians and safety personnel. On Sunday gunmen believed to be from al-Shabab attacked a police submit in Mandera earlier than being repulsed.
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Faruk reported from Mogadishu, Somalia.
