By David Ochami in Fafadun, South Somalia
Kenya Defence Forces are now within striking distance of Badheere in southern Somalia after capturing two key towns in an intense aerial and ground assault.
Badheere is an Al Shabaab stronghold in Gedo Province, but the twin setbacks for the militants also saw them lose Sheikh Hassan Hussein, their top commander in the region, who was killed by a KDF mortar attack on a roadblock manned by the rebels. Kenya Defence Forces ( KDF) shelled the militants using guns mounted aboard 500MD Defender attack helicopters.
The Tuesday night attack also destroyed two Al Shabaab communication stations. For two weeks, Kenyan planes and helicopters have struck several targets, including suspected ammunition dumps, anti-aircraft and artillery batteries in Bardheere, Fafadun and El Ade, Al Shabaabâs remaining strongholds in Gedo region. A Somali soldier stands on guard near a vehicle burned during a clash between TFG forces and Al Shabaab militants in Burhache town in Somalia. [PHOTO: GEORGE MULALA/STANDARD]
Snuff out
A resident in Fafadun told The Standard by radio that "there was a series of loud bangs outside the city yesterday (Tuesday) evening," in reference to the strikes and mortar barrage outside the town that wrecked Al Shabaab camps on the outskirts.
KDF reported no casualties in the Fafadun operation that lasted close to an hour. Al Shabaab has not issued a statement on the attack by the time of filing this report, but Somaliaâs Transitional Federal Government (TFG) sources said wounded Al Shabaab fighters were fleeing towards Bardheere.
The capture of Fafadun, which lies 150 kilometres from Kenyaâs border with Somalia, now places KDF and TFG forces within 70 kilometres of the Al Shabaab stronghold of Bardheere on Juba river.
This is the most eastward advance by the Kenyan forces in the Northern Sector since the start of the Kenyan military intervention in Somalia last year.
On a separate, front KDF infantry forces simultaneously attacked Inda Ceel town and seized it from Al Shabaab.
The capture of the two towns pushes Al Shabaab farther east towards the Juba River, limiting the militantsâ presence in two districts out of Gedoâs six.
