Kenyan troops kill 52 Al-Shabaab fighters in Somalia

Kenyan troops have killed some 52 al Shabaab fighters in an attack on a camp in southern Somalia.

The incident happened in Badhaadhe in Lower Juba, military spokesperson Colonel Joseph Owuoth said. Rifles and improvised explosive devices and bomb making materials were recovered in the assault.

Kenya has contributed thousands of troops in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to help curb the Al Shabaab insurgency and help improve security as part of reconstruction efforts.

“The intelligence led operation was executed after surveillance assets sighted al Shabaab terrorist concentration on the location. Ground troops supported by mortar and artillery fire were employed to neutralize the camp thereafter,“ a statement said.

“Following the operation, the initial assessment indicates that 52 terrorists were killed while others fled with injuries,” the statement added.

Al Shabab has been fighting for years to impose its own harsh interpretation of Islam on parts of Somalia, where it has controlled for sometime in an attempt to topple what they say is a Western-backed government.

In January, the group claimed responsibility for the death of over a dozen Kenyan troops when they attacked a remote military base in Somalia. 70 militants were also killed in the process.

Local media have also consistently reported of other attacks highlighting their magnitude.