MOGADISHU, Somalia – Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) warplanes have been bombing civilian areas in neighboring border towns in Somalia since Saturday.
The aerial attacks were carried out in seven areas located in Dhamase and Elwak towns in retaliation for an explosion that killed two Kenyan soldiers on Friday near border town.
In an interview with Shabelle Media, Mohamed Aden, a local resident, said that the Kenyan military had intensified its air strikes against residential areas in towns of Gedo region.
Aden says the strikes had also severely damaged Hormud Telecom masts, causing the disruption of internet and communication services for many of the population.
He says it was hard to know how many people were killed or injured due to lack of mobile telephone signals.
Mohamed Aden called on Somali leaders to intervene to stop atrocities being committed by Kenyan military in Gedo region.
Early this year, Kenyan military killed a mother and her child and four others injured in air raids carried out in two towns in the Gedo.
Ali Ahmed Sheikh, the woman’s husband, brought his wounded children to a hospital in the capital Mogadishu.
In an interview with Shabelle Media, Sheikh Ahmed said his wife Sahra Aden and his new born baby were killed in the bombing.
“I was away when Kenyan military jet bombed my family home in El Ade town. I found my wife and our new born baby dead in result of the strike”, he said.
Kenya has troops serving under African Union mission known as “AMISOM” in Somalia to help the Mogadishu-based government to defeat al Shabab, an al Qaeda linked group.
Nairobi sent its troops into Somalia in 2011 in a bid to thwart cross-border attacks and kidnappings against foreign aid workers by al Shabab.
The militant group also carried out deadly attacks in Kenyan soul, with hundreds of people, mainly non-Muslims were killed.
On Monday, Al Shabab group said it had killed 15 soldiers in a bomb attack on Kenyan armored vehicle traveling between Kayunga and Shangani in Lamu town.
The al Qaeda linked group has been battling both Somali army and African Union troops for more than ten years to topple the government and establish its own strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.
