Nine Dead In Clashes On Somalia, Kenya Border
Faizan Hashmi Published January 25, 2021 | 11:59 PM
Fighting broke out early Monday along Somalia's border with Kenya, leaving at least nine dead and several injured on both sides of the frontier, according to officials and witnesses
Mogadishu, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jan, 2021 ):Fighting broke out early Monday along Somalia's border with Kenya, leaving at least nine dead and several injured on both sides of the frontier, according to officials and witnesses.
Somalia accused Kenyan troops -- and Somali fighters it says were trained by its neighbour -- of entering the border town of Bulohawo and attacking federal army bases there. Kenya has denied any role in the clashes.
The incident is the latest linked to a political crisis in the semi-autonomous Jubaland region of Somalia which has strained diplomatic relations between the East African countries.
Kenya is a supporter of Jubaland's regional president Ahmed Madobe, who has been at odds with the federal government in Mogadishu, and is refusing to take part in already delayed national elections.
"The Somali national armed forces repelled and ended a dawn raid on Bulohawo by Kenyan troops and rebel Somali militia it had trained to take control of the town," Information Minister Osman Abukar Dube told a press conference in Mogadishu.
"The Somali forces captured 100 Kenyan-trained rebel militia during the fighting, and they are detained in a safe location." The minister accused Kenya and these militia of having "bombed civilian-populated locations and killing five children and their mother in one of the shellings".
A military commander in Bulohawo, Colonel Mohamed Abdulle, said three soldiers had been killed.
The death toll could not be independently confirmed.
Kenya's Interior Minister Fred Matiangi said the clashes were related to an "internal" conflict in Somalia.
"We are not involved in it and none of our forces has crossed the border to go to Somalia," he said.
Ahmednur Yusuf, a resident in Bulohawo, told AFP he "saw the bodies of eight people, five from the same family, whose house was struck by a shell".
"I saw dozens of prisoners of war captured by the Somali forces from Jubaland troops, they were lined up and taken to a military camp outside the town," he said.
Ali Roba, the governor of Mandera on the Kenyan side of the border, said in a statement that 12 people had been hospitalised with injuries from stray bullets, and a missile which hit a home in the town.
Kenya sees Jubaland -- a lush, relatively prosperous part of Somalia where it has many troops -- as a buffer between it and Al-Shabaab militants who have staged several bloody attacks across the border.
In June last year Mogadishu officially recognised Madobe as the leader of Jubaland after a contested regional election in August 2019.
However Somali forces have not pulled out of the region as promised, and Jubaland is refusing to take part in national elections which had been due in February, but have faced multiple delays.
Somalia in December severed diplomatic ties with Kenya for "interference" in its politics.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Rock-solid Ruud racks up season-leading win in Barcelona
At UN, Iran says it will make Israel 'regret' reprisals
G7 hears calls for 'critical' Ukraine aid
EU seeks to leverage might to confront China, US challenge
5 Customs officials martyred as their vehicle ambushed by terrorists in D I Khan
Pak-New Zealand match called off due to rain
NHA restores traffic on roads affected by recent rains in Balochistan
China to fully support Pakistan's efforts against terrorism: Ambassador Jiang
U.S. envoy calls on Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar
Poland arrests man over suspected plan to kill Zelensky
EU wants to ease youth movement to and from UK
Police foils attempt of supply mainpuri raw material
More Stories From World
-
At G7, Blinken seeks European support for pressure on China
5 hours ago -
Thousands of Bosnian Serbs rally against UN resolution on Srebrenica
5 hours ago -
Israel assault has turned Gaza into 'humanitarian hellscape': UN
6 hours ago -
Husband of ex-Scottish leader charged over alleged embezzlement: police
6 hours ago -
Ecuador hit by power cuts of up to 13 hours amid drought
7 hours ago -
Hugs or bullets? How Mexico presidential rivals aim to curb violence
7 hours ago
-
Kenya military chopper crash kills defence chief, senior officers
7 hours ago -
Biden hails 'incredible' Kennedy family backing against RFK Jr.
7 hours ago -
Maldives court frees jailed ex-president ahead of vote
8 hours ago -
Probe into Portugal ex-PM Costa appears to collapse
8 hours ago -
Jury selection stalls in Trump criminal trial
8 hours ago -
At UN, Iran says it will make Israel 'regret' reprisals
8 hours ago