UK and US govts praise KDF for foiling Al-Shabaab attack in Lamu

KDF soldiers display some of the weapons recovered from Al-Shabaab militants who attempted to attack their camp at Baure in Lamu on June 14, 2015. Eleven militants were killed. The US and UK governments have praised the KDF for their swift action. PHOTO | COURTESY | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• They at the same time condemned the attack on a military outpost by the militants.
• They were responding to the Sunday morning incident in which Kenyan soldiers killed 11 Al-Shabaab terrorists.
• Dr Christian Turner said his country would continue working closely with Kenya in the war against terror.
• Two soldiers died in the attack on a day that coincided with the first anniversary of the Mpeketoni attack in which 70 people were killed.

By AGGREY MUTAMBO

The UK and US governments have commended the Kenya Defence Forces for thwarting an attack by Al-Shabaab militants in Lamu on Sunday.

They at the same time condemned the attack on a military outpost by the militants.

On Monday, London and Washington envoys to Nairobi said the attack reminds everyone of the continuing threat of terrorism and said they would continue to work with Kenyan authorities to deal with the scourge.

“I offer my deepest condolences to the families of the brave Kenyan soldiers who lost their lives or were injured in the attack.

“I would also like to praise the decisive response of the Kenyan Defence Forces, who displayed exemplary levels of expertise and courage in countering the attack,” Dr Christian Turner, the UK High Commissioner in Nairobi said.

He said his country would continue working closely with Kenya in the war against terror.

'SHARED' SECURITY THREAT

“There can be no place for such barbaric acts of violence in our societies.

"The UK continues to work closely with the Kenyan government both in the fight against terrorism, and in its efforts to bring the guilty to justice.

"Kenya’s security challenges represent a shared threat, and require a shared response,” he said.

“We also offer our profound appreciation to the Kenya Defence Force and other security services that risk their lives daily to counter the scourge of terrorism in Kenya and the region,” US Ambassador Robert Godec said in a statement.

Mr Godec added: “This attack underscores again the threat that terrorists pose, and reinforces the need for all communities to unite to combat violent extremism. The United States remains a committed friend and will continue to stand with Kenya in the fight against terrorism.”

They were responding to the Sunday morning incident in which Kenyan soldiers killed 11 Al-Shabaab terrorists who had attacked a military camp in Lamu.

According to military spokesman, Col David Obonyo, Al-Shabaab fighters in military fatigues and armed with AK-47 rifles attacked the KDF camp at Baure at around 5.45am, prompting a fierce gunfight between the soldiers and more than 100 attackers.

MPEKETONI ANNIVERSARY

Two soldiers died in the attack on a day that coincided with the first anniversary of the Mpeketoni attack in which 70 people were killed and property worth millions of shillings torched.

The militants claimed responsibility for the Mpeketoni attack.

But as locals prepared to remember the dead, about 60 or more suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists raided Mangai Village, also in Lamu County, earlier on Sunday.

The attackers flushed out villagers from their homes and ordered them to gather at the Mangai Mosque, where the raiders preached to them for three hours.

Two of the attackers killed on Sunday were Caucasian and the KDF believe one of them is British terror merchant Thomas Evans, aka Abdul Hakim.

“All the available data, including photographs, points to it being Thomas Evans.

“There is an investigation going on with forensics and DNA to confirm his identity, Col Obonyo told AFP on Monday.

Evans, in his mid-20s, is a Muslim convert whose family lives in Buckinghamshire in southern England.

His mother told the Daily Mail that he had wanted to fight for Somali militants.