NAIROBI, Kenya: In a firefight, the Kenyan army killed 11 militants — including two apparent foreigners — from the Somali extremist group Al Shabab and suffered two fatal casualties, a military spokesman said Sunday.
Two soldiers were killed in the firefight at dawn as the militants attacked an army camp in Lamu County, Col. David Obonyo said. Among the Al Shabab militants killed were two Caucasian men Obonyo said, and efforts are underway to establish their identities.
He said members of the militant group do not carry any identification documents. Al Shabab recruits foreign fighters from neighbouring countries and abroad, including American and British nationals.
Sunday’s attack took place a day before the anniversary of an Al Shabab attack in Mpeketoni town in Lamu County that saw 48 non-Muslims killed in a bloodbath that went on for hours without any intervention from security forces.
Al Shabab militants say they are carrying out attacks in Kenya because it is among African countries that have deployed troops to Somalia to fight the militants who are waging an insurgency against Somalia’s weak government.
Al Shabab controlled most of Mogadishu, the Somali capital, from roughly 2007 to 2011. The group, which has links with Al Qaida, has seen its territory reduced after military pushes by African Union and Somali forces.
