The Kenya Defence Forces has maintained that only nine officers were killed during the al Shabaab attack on Kolibyow base in Somalia, like reported by the-star.co.ke.

KDF, in a statement, said another 15 soldiers were injured during the fierce engagement and had been evacuated to Nairobi for medical attention.

KDF spokesperson Paul Njunguna said that 70 al Shabaab members were killed and scores wounded during the counter-attack.

“During this engagement, KDF lost two officers and seven servicemen,” Njuguna said.

“Fifteen KDF soldiers who were injured during the engagement have been evacuated to Defence Forces Memorial Hospital for further medical attention,” he said.

There had been earlier reports that dozens of soldiers were killed at the camp, but Njuguna said KDF soldiers operating under Amisom successfully defended the military camp.

“KDF’s quick reaction force, land and air forces arrived at the Kolbiyow camp early this morning and reinforced the defence and pursuit efforts” he said.

Njuguna said the terrorists used Vehicles Borne Improvised Explosive Devices in the dawn attack.

“A wave of terrorists supported by two vehicles Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIED) attempted to attack the camp but the attempt was unsuccessful,” the spokesman said.

KDF have launched a hot pursuit on the ones who managed to flee.

“The KDF soldiers remain vigilant and will continue to relentlessly pursue the terrorists to ensure peace and security of our country Kenya, as well as support Amisom operations in order to stabilize Somalia,” he noted.

Al Shabaab said its fighters killed at least 66 people, adding they overran the camp near the Kenyan border.

The militant group also said it lost fighters but did not give numbers.

Attention of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has been drawn to a new tactic being adopted by female suicide bombers in the North East.  Female suicide bombers are now evading detection from security operatives by carrying babies on their back, that ordinarily pass them for innocent nursing mothers.  The two recent suicide bomb attacks in Madagali, Adamawa State are instructive in this regard, like reported by nta.ng .

The DHQ wishes to seize this opportunity to appeal to members of the public to be patient and cooperate with the military and other security agencies while carrying out thorough security search and checks as the essence is to nip in the bud the murderous intention of the Boko Haram suicide bombers. 

The DHQ wishes to state further that the usual traffic “go-slow” at military and security check points as a result of rigorous security checks are not meant to cause public discomfort or a deliberate action to induce traffic disruptions on our roads, but an effort put in place towards protecting the lives and properties of our innocent citizens.

Members of the public are therefore urged to always volunteer useful information to the military and other security agencies that would assist in exposing Boko Haram and their evil machinations in our society and to make our communities safe and secure for all to live.

Sudan has expressed its readiness to render any kind of support required by Nigeria to combat Islamic terrorism, like reported by leadership.ng.

Dr Taj-Asir Mahjoub, Sudanese Ambassador to Nigeria, made this known at a  dinner organised to mark the 61^st Sudan National Day Celebration on Thuesday.

Mahjoub,  commended the efforts exerted by President Muhammadu Buhari in combating the boko haram terrorists.

The envoy also commended Nigeria’s efforts in maintenance of peace and security in Africa .

`The government of Sudan really appreciate the sincere efforts exerted by Nigeria to release peace, stability in Sudan especially the participation of the Nigeria contingency in the peace keeping operation in Darfur.

“We are also following efforts by the Nigeria government to address the current challenges facing this great nation in combating terrorism.

“My government has confirm and continue to give its solid position in supporting the Nigeria government in the effort to combat terrorism,’’ Mahjoub said.

Speaking on Sudan’s economy, he said: “we are confident that the recent lifting of the U,S. economic sanction imposed on Sudan since 1999 will definitely reflect positively on the Sudanese and Nigeria economic cooperation through processing of different transaction.

“Therefore, we are confident that our bilateral economic ties will also improve significantly,’’ the ambassador said.

He said that the relationship between the Sudanese government and Nigeria is considered as one of the oldest in Africa.

The envoy stressed that Sudan was ready to work closely with Nigeria to deepen the economic relations between the two countries, noting that more than five million Nigerians are living in Sudan and have contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of  that country

Also speaking the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Khadija Ibrahim, extended Nigeria’s best wishes to the people of Sudan on their national day.

Ibrahim said that Nigeria and Sudan have excellent diplomatic and bilateral relations  which can transcend into economic development.

The Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab has taken control of a military camp manned by Kenyan soldiers who are part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) following heavy fighting early Friday, like reported by xinhuanet.com.

Residents in the remote town of Kulbiyow said many casualties are feared after heavy explosions and gunfire broke out between the military and the insurgents.

“Heavily armed Al-Shabaab fighters attacked the military base in Kulbiyow early Friday. Heavy explosions and gunfire could be heard from the base,” a resident told Xinhua.

Both Kenyan and Somalian military officials have not confirmed the number of casualties yet, but residents said the attack was deadly. Some residents said some Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) soldiers had crossed into Kenya.

The residents said the militants were seen moving weapons and military vehicles out of the devastated KDF base in Kulbiyow town.

Reports say several dead bodies in KDF uniforms could be seen at the scene in Kulbiyow town.

The KDF said it sent reinforcement which was able to destroy two vehicles loaded with improvised explosive devices within the vicinity of their Forward Operating Base (FOB) at Kulbiyow, an area near Kenya’s border with Somalia.

The terrorist attack came a year after the Al-Qaida allied terrorist group killed an unknown number of Kenyan soldiers at a KDF base at Elade in the Gedo region.

Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the Jan. 15, 2016 attack saying it had taken over the base and killed more than 63 KDF soldiers. Kenya has not released the number of casualties.

Al-Shabaab has vowed reprisal attacks in the country, mainly targeting security forces in border towns of northern Kenya, where dozens of people have been killed in landmine and grenade attacks blamed on the militant group.

The group, which has teamed up with the global terror network Al-Qaida and Islamic State or ISIS, has vowed an all-out war in Kenya, in retaliation against what it called a military incursion “against our brothers in Somalia.”

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) says nine Al-Shabaab militants were killed in a foiled attack on a police post, like reported by xinhuanet.com .

The AU mission said that Al-Shabaab militants had attempted to attack the police post in Afgoye, a town about 30 km south of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, but were repulsed. Nine militants were killed in the fighting.

According to AMISOM, improvised explosive devices which had been planted by the militants were identified and removed.

It said the joint forces were currently continuing with security operations to flush out the insurgents out of the restive town, which has seen fighting between the AU troops and the militants in the past week.

The Wednesday evening incident came hours after twin car bomb blasts claimed by the Al-Shabaab extremist group struck a hotel near Somali Parliament in Mogadishu, killing at least 15 people and injuring 51 others.

Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali decided to set up an anti-terrorism force to fight against insecurity in the Liptako-Gourma area that sits across their borders, according to bernama.com.

The area is believed to be a growing sanctuary for terrorists and the presidents of three states agreed in Niamey to create the Liptako-Gourma Multinational Security Force.

“We have decided to pool our intelligence resources, our (military) operational capacities to deal with the security situation in this area,” Niger’s Mahamadou Issoufou, Roch Marc Christian Kabore of Burkina Faso and Modibo Keita of Mali agreed in during a tripartite conference.

“The region of Liptako, once a haven of peace is fast becoming a sanctuary of terrorist groups and criminals of all kinds.

Despite the efforts made by the member states, in relation to the international community, the security situation in the zone remains volatile and worrying,” said the communique from the conference.

The new force will be like the mixed multinational force created by Niger, Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon since 2015 to fight the militant group Boko Haram in the Lake Chad basin, Issoufou explained.

The Liptako-Gourma zone is a vast 370,000 km2 area sitting across the three countries and home to 45% of the total population of the three states.

At least 18 people were killed when two vehicles loaded with explosives exploded near the entrance of a hotel in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, security officials and police said to eblnews.com .

The death toll included six attackers, one of whom blew himself up inside a vehicle and five of whom were killed by security forces.

The first explosion came from a truck directly in front of the hotel, while a second blast came from a bomb placed inside a car parked near the hotel, police officer Mohamed Dahir told dpa.

Dahir added that after the blasts, fighters belonging to Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab stormed the Dayah Hotel, which is popular among entrepreneurs and government officials.

Gunfire could be heard in the area.

“The toll is expected to grow because some people may be trapped inside the three-story hotel,” said security official Mohamed Hassan.

The fatalities included government soldiers, private hotel guards and civilians.

Up to 35 people were wounded, according to officials. Among those injured were four journalists, reporters at the site told dpa.

The explosions rocked the entire city and shattered dozens of windows in the area, witnesses told dpa.

Cars parked near the hotel were damaged from shrapnel and the pressure of the blasts, they added.

“It is a busy area. Many people were dead, others were yelling for help after being wounded,” shopkeeper Abdullahi Abdi told dpa.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack immediately after the blasts on pro-insurgent radio station Andalus.

The group claimed its fighters killed people inside and outside the hotel.

Al-Shabaab, which is seeking an Islamist state in Somalia and is affiliated with the international al-Qaeda terrorist network, attacks government facilities and hotels in Mogadishu on a regular basis.

The United States has agreed to sell 14 aircraft to the Kenyan military for around $418m (£335m) to be used in the fight against the Islamist militants al-Shabab, the US DefenseSecurity Cooperation Agency said, like reported by ibtimes.co.uk.

The al-Shabab terror group is based in Somalia, but has in recent years has carried out some of its bloodiest attacks on Kenyan soil in retaliation for Kenya’s participation in counter-terror operations in Somalia as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

The US government approved the deal to sell “Air Tractor aircraft with weapons, and related support” to support the Kenyan army’s ongoing efforts to counter al-Shabaab on 19 January.

“This proposed sale contributes to the foreign policy and national security of the US by improving the security of a strong regional partner who is a regional security leader undertaking critical operations against al-Shabaab and troop contributor to the AMISOM,” the State Department said in a statement.

The platform maximises the Kenyan Defense Force’s air action “because it is a short-field aircraft capable of using precision munitions and cost effective logistics and maintenance”.

The possible sale includes 12 Air Tractor AT- 802L and two AT-504 trainer aircraft, weapons package, technical support and programme management. The new aircraft would be “pre-positioned much closer to the conflict area”.

Instability in Somalia, compounded by consequences of recurring natural hazards, has internally displaced 1.1 million people, and more than 900,000 Somalis have found refuge in neighbouring countries – half of whom reside in Kenya.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta vowed to take harsh measures against the Islamic militants, including the closure of the Dadaab refugee camp, which is militarily populated by Somalis, and an uptick in surveillance of Somali communities in Nairobi.

At least 11 people died Monday night when heavily armed insurgents of the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab tried to seize a town in south-eastern Somalia, police and witnesses said to eblnews.com.

Several others were injured when militants attacked soldiers and African Union troops in the town of Afgoye, 30 kilometres south-west of the capital, Mogadishu.

“Fierce fighting erupted at about 5:30 pm and is still taking place in and out of the town as militants attempt to enter it,” police officer Mohamed Amen told dpa by phone from Afgoye.

Among the dead were three Somali soldiers and eight militants, according to Amen.

Residents reported they heard loud explosions and gunshots as al-Shabaab fighters entered the town waving the group’s black flag.

“Bullets are falling everywhere in the town,” said resident Sabah Muse.

“Many residents cannot come out of their homes. Roads and business places have been closed due to the clashes,” Muse added.

Afgoye used to be an al-Shabaab stronghold until 2012.

Al-Shabaab claimed on pro-insurgent Radio Andalus it had captured the town, inflicting heavy casualties on Somali soldiers.

The group, which is seeking an Islamist state in Somalia and is affiliated with the international al-Qaeda terrorist network, launches regular attacks within the volatile East African nation.

Somali pirates have freed 26 Asian sailors held captive in a small fishing village for more than four years since their ship was hijacked in the Indian Ocean, government officials and a maritime expert said to reuters.com.

The sailors from China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Taiwan were seized when the Omani-flagged FV Naham 3 was hijacked close to the Seychelles in March 2012, when pirate attacks were common in the area.

“The crew is staying overnight in Galkayo. They will arrive in (the Kenyan capital) Nairobi at 1830 local time tomorrow,” said John Steed, East Africa region manager for the Oceans Beyond Piracy group.

The mayor of Galkayo in northern Somalia had earlier said the crew was set to arrive in Kenya on Saturday afternoon.

“The crew did not say if ransom was paid,” mayor Hirsi Yusuf Barre told Reuters.

Their period of captivity is one of the longest among hostages seized by pirates in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation.

Steed said one member of the crew had died during the hijacking while two succumbed to illness. Among those released, one was being treated for a gunshot wound on his foot and three were diabetic.

The sailors were held in Dabagala near the town of Harardheere some 400 km (250 miles) northeast of the capital Mogadishu. Harardheere became known as Somalia’s main pirate base at the height of the crisis.

The Oceans Beyond Piracy group said the crew were brought ashore by pirates when their ship sank more than a year after its hijacking.

Piracy off Somalia’s coast has subsided in the past three years, mainly due to shipping firms hiring private security details and the presence of international warships.

The wave of attacks had cost the world’s shipping industry billions of dollars as pirates paralysed shipping lanes, kidnapped hundreds of seafarers and seized vessels more than 1,000 miles from Somalia’s coastline.