Kenyan warplanes targeted and destroyed an Al-ShabÄab logistics center in the Gedo region of the semi-autonomous state of Jubaland, Somalia, according to several security sources.
The operation, which took place on Thursday, dealt a severe blow to the militant group, crippling their ability to carry out attacks.
The strike follows an ambush on Wednesday, where a special unit of police officers came under heavy fire while patrolling in the Mandera region, which shares an extensive frontier with Somalia.
The incident occurred around 1800hrs at basrako, 15km southwest of Ogorwein in Mandera North subcounty.
While there has been no official communication from the Kenyan government on the counter-terrorism operation, security officials in the region have been on standby and have increased efforts against extremism as the fight for stability persists.
The Kenyan government postponed the planned phased-out reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border points on Wednesday in response to the recent surge in terror attacks and cross-border crime. Kenya hosts 270,000 Somali refugees, and tens of thousands live and work in small towns and cities.
The East African nation is one of the African countries with a military presence under the ATMIS, supporting the Somali government in their fight against terror group al-Shabab, which has threatened to overthrow the internationally recognized government.
Al-ShabÄab is a militant group based in Somalia and has been responsible for a series of deadly attacks in the country and the region.
The group has been fighting to establish an Islamic state in Somalia since 2006 and has been responsible for numerous attacks against civilians, government officials, and African Union peacekeepers.
Kenya has been a target of Al-ShabÄab’s attacks since 2011 when the country sent troops to Somalia to fight the militant group. In response, Al-ShabÄab has carried out a series of attacks, including the 2013 Westgate mall attack in Nairobi, which killed 67 people, and the 2015 Garissa University College attack, which left 148 people dead.
The Kenyan government has since stepped up its efforts to combat terrorism, including launching operations against Al-ShabÄab in Somalia and increasing security measures within the country.
