Three KDF soldiers injured in Lamu attack

MOMBASA: At least three Kenyan soldiers were seriously injured in gun attacks by suspected Al Shabaab militia who ambushed a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) vehicle on Thursday afternoon at Basuba area.

The area is located between Hindi and Kiunga in Lamu County. Initial reports indicated the wounded soldiers were flown to Nairobi but KDF says they were treated at the site.

This is the second attack on KDF in six months in Lamu following last year’s May 26 attack on a Kenyan military vehicle in which two soldiers were killed. Police Friday confirmed the attack but refused to give details.

The military gave a slightly different account acknowledging what it called slight injuries to three soldiers and suggesting that the attack occurred inside Somalia.

KDF spokesman Colonel David Obonyo described the attack as “a small incident” that is “part of our work.”

“Our soldiers were attacked at Ras Kambi by unknown attackers but we swiftly returned fire which left three [of the attackers] dead while some fled into the bush,” said Colonel Obonyo.

KDF also said the Kenyan forces killed three attackers. It added that the wounded soldiers belonged to Kenya’s military contingent in Somalia.

According to the coordinator of Red Cross in Lamu County Mohamed Abdikadir the soldiers are part of a contingent deployed in Lamu to carry out a security operations since June last year to flush out attackers responsible for the slaughter of civilians in Mpeketoni, Hindi and other parts of the county.

“The information we have is that the three soldiers had gone to the nearby dam to fetch water when they were ambushed by unknown number of bandits. The three were able to repulse the attackers but were also badly injured,” said Abdikadir in a telephone interview with The Standard on Saturday.

Officer in charge of multi-agency security operation in Lamu, Antony Kamitu confirmed the incident but said the matter was being handled by the KDF.

“Yes the incident happened and some soldiers were injured but that is a matter that is being handled by KDF so it will be good you contact them,” said Mr Kamitu when contacted.

Kamitu took over the operation from the current acting Inspector General of Police Samuel Arachi who has been leading the security operation in the area since last June attack in Tana River.

Despite heavy security personnel presence on the ground Lamu County still remain volatile and the government has for the fourth time extended the dusk to dawn curfew placed in July last year.