This is going to be very interesting, to say the least as Kenyan military troops have already moved into southern Somalia and taken one city and vow to continue on and take the al Shabaab stronghold city of Kismayo...a port city.
From the article at The Long War Journal:
The Kenyan military has said it would seize the port city of Kismayo, Shabaab's stronghold in southern Somalia, and remain in the area until the terror group was defeated. Kenyan forces have already taken control of Ras Kamboni, a town on the Kenyan border just south of Kismayo that previously served as a terrorist command and control center.
The statement was made yesterday by Major Emmanuel Chirchir, a spokesman for the Kenyan Army, according to The Associated Press. Chirchir said that Ras Kamboni was taken by a Kenyan battle group that entered southern Somalia from the Kiunga border crossing point. Shabaab forces abandoned the area without a fight.
"This avenue provides the Defence Forces with a vantage to clear al Shabaab and pirates on the Somali waters from Ras Kiamboni to Kismayu," Chirchir said, according to The Nation.
In late 2006 and early 2007, Ras Kamboni served as a training and communications hub for the Islamic Courts Union, Shabaab's predecessor, and al Qaeda. Slain al Qaeda leaders Fazul Mohammed and Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhand were among several leaders sheltering there. Ethiopian forces fought for two weeks before seizing the town.
Kenyan forces are advancing on Shabaab strongholds in the south from two directions. Further west, Kenyan forces remain stalled on the road to Afmadow after capturing the town of Qooqani. Kenyan officials said that troops are bogged down due to heavy rains in the region.
Al Shabaab, of course, is the al Qaeda affiliated Islamic terror group that controls much of Somalia and as has been seen over the years, has itself ventured into Kenya to conduct numerous terror attacks. Apparently the Kenyans have had enough of the muzzies coming in to kill people inside of their borders.
It will be even more interesting to see if al Shabaab puts out a call for help to the rest of the al Qaeda world - I'm not sure Kenya is prepared for a full out conflict with thousands of jihadis flooding in from the Middle East and north African countries.
Personally, I hope the streets of Kismayo are piled high with dead al Shabaab...now THAT would make a fun postcard to send to Ayman al Zawahiri.
Kenyan military vows to take Shabaab stronghold of Kismayo
The Kenyan military has said it would seize the port city of Kismayo, Shabaab's stronghold in southern Somalia, and remain in the area until the terror group was defeated. Kenyan forces have already taken control of Ras Kamboni, a town on the Kenyan border just south of Kismayo that previously served as a terrorist command and control center.
The statement was made yesterday by Major Emmanuel Chirchir, a spokesman for the Kenyan Army, according to The Associated Press. Chirchir said that Ras Kamboni was taken by a Kenyan battle group that entered southern Somalia from the Kiunga border crossing point. Shabaab forces abandoned the area without a fight.
"This avenue provides the Defence Forces with a vantage to clear al Shabaab and pirates on the Somali waters from Ras Kiamboni to Kismayu," Chirchir said, according to The Nation.
In late 2006 and early 2007, Ras Kamboni served as a training and communications hub for the Islamic Courts Union, Shabaab's predecessor, and al Qaeda. Slain al Qaeda leaders Fazul Mohammed and Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhand were among several leaders sheltering there. Ethiopian forces fought for two weeks before seizing the town.
Kenyan forces are advancing on Shabaab strongholds in the south from two directions. Further west, Kenyan forces remain stalled on the road to Afmadow after capturing the town of Qooqani. Kenyan officials said that troops are bogged down due to heavy rains in the region.
The Kenyan Army has deployed two battalions, one in each sector, against Shabaab forces, The Associated Press reported. Each battalion has an estimated 800 soldiers, and is backed by armor, attack helicopters, and artillery. Strike aircraft have also been spotted over southern Somalia. The US is known to operate unmanned Predator and Reaper drones over the region.
Ethiopia attempted to crush the Islamist groups in the south in the recent past, only to cede ground. Ethiopian forces invaded Somalia in late 2006 and pushed the Islamic Courts Union from power. But after fighting a bitter insurgency that saw an Islamic Courts faction and Shabaab retake control of much of central and southern Somalia, the Ethiopian troops withdrew from Somalia in 2009, leaving a weak Transitional Federal Government that is backed by an estimated 9,000 African Union peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi.
Shabaab has been under pressure after abandoning most of Mogadishu over the last several months. Its forces have withdrawn to areas south of the capital. Despite losing ground in Mogadishu and against Kenyan forces in the south, however, Shabaab still controls vast areas, including the western town of Baidoa, which was once the alternate seat of power for the Somali government, as well as the port cities of Marka and Baraawe.
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