Somali-based jihadists Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen militants attempted to ambush a Kenya Army Border Operations Special unit forward base, according to military intelligence reports.
The incident occurred near the village of Haamey, a small frontier village approximately 40 kilometers from the border with Somalia. During the attack, the militants torched three thatched huts.
Army personnel from the forward base at Liboi responded to the attack and effectively stopped the cross-border incursion. At least 26 militants from the Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen group were killed by Kenya Army during the operations, while dozens of others escaped with gun injuries.
Assessment and Context ¶
The porous Kenya-Somalia border has contributed to an increase in terrorism acts in the border regions of Kenya. In response, Kenya has commenced the construction of a wall to separate the two countries and neutralize the threat posed by militants.
The cross-border attack signals an escalation of terrorist militant strategy and indicates the presence of Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen militant mobile bases near the Somali border with Kenya. Analysis suggests that the militants may be attempting to establish larger operating bases in areas approximately 100 kilometers from the Kenyan border to conduct future terror and militant attacks.
