KDF air strikes blamed for casualties in Somalia

The Somali government on Sunday, January 31, named a committee who will investigate and assess the impact of airstrikes mounted by Kenyan warplanes fighting Al-Shabab in Gedo region.

Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke said his government had talked with Kenyan officials over the airstrike to be stopped in El-Adde region in southern Somalia where al-Shabaab fighters killed several Kenyan soldiers on Friday, January 15.

The Somali PM said he had  communicated with Kenyan officials including the Chief of Army Staff over stopping of the airstrikes.

“The defense minister and his team will travel to the area and find out the extent of civilian casualties there,” the PM added.

The PM’s  remarks came two weeks after Kenyan warplanes carried out airstrikes in southern Somali region of Gedo after al- Shabaab attack in which more than ten Kenya Defense Forces  soldiers were captured and several others injured.

The Kenyan government has not given the official figures of the casualties, but the militants claimed to have killed 100 Kenyan troops and captured 12 others.

Al-Shabaab initially claimed to have killed 63 KDF soldiers in the fighting that broke out in the El-Adde area of southern Somalia. The fighting is reported to have lasted over 12 hours. The al-Shabaab claims have since inflated to more than 100 KDF soldiers killed in the attack.

The attacks drew condemnation from political leaders and citizens of Kenya alike. The United Nations further released a statement condemning the deadly attack.

The al-Shabaab has launched several deadly attacks against KDF and AMISOM military installations within the last several months.