Kenyan Military Advances Incursion Into Somalia

Kenyan Defense Forces occupying the Horn of Africa nation of Somalia. The Kenyan government has invaded their neighbor in conjunction with an imperialist onslaught into the strategic state., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Kenyan military advances incursion into Somalia

Abdulaziz Billow Ali, Press TV, Mogadishu
Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:17AM GMT
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/222031.html

Kenyan military has advanced its incursion into Somalia, this time round using the Kenyan Air Force F5 fighter jets in launching repetitive air strikes in Al-Shabaab dominated districts and strongholds mainly in the Southern regions of Somalia.

On the 15th of January, Kenyan airstrike claimed the lives of at least seven children in southern Somalia, as violence continues to intensify in the drought ravaged Horn of African nation.

The attack took place on Sunday in the town of Jilib, killing seven children of former government administrator Abdullahi Maalim.

Abdullahi who lost his children in the strike accuses Kenyan military of causing massive deaths to innocent civilians after striking populated areas that they perceive as real Al-Shabaab bases yet they are residential areas.

The father says that the Kenyan incursion into Somalia has caused more harm than good to the already impoverished and drought ravaged Somali people who are now living in great fear following aerial assaults that analysts say will cause serious displacement of the Somali people again.

However the Kenyan Defence Force have been accused of slow progress despite the initial momentum they entered Somalia from the South and are relying strongly on air strikes to fight Al Shabaab which have resulted in civilian casualties in almost all occasions.

Somali Prime Minister has also warned against attacks on civilians terming the Jilib airstrike as an unfortunate one that needs to serve as a lesson.

Prime Minister Abdiweli also warned that the Kenyan military must reduce its assault that has left many Somali civilians dead after falling victims to the repetitive Kenyan airstrikes in local villages.

Somalia and Kenya signed an agreement in November regarding the operations but now Kenya is seeking to be incorporated into the African Union and operate in Somalia under the banner of Africa Mission in Somalia who are limited to the capital Mogadishu.

Kenyan airstrikes have been rampant in the towns of Afmadhow, Hagar, Jilib, Badadhe with the main target of the Kenyan military being the seizure of the port town of Kismayo from the Al-Shabaab fighters that serves as a life line to the group. But the main question is how many more civilians will die before the capture of Kismayo town?