An al-Qaida-linked Somali militant group is
suspected of killing at least 30 Kenyan civilians since Kenyan troops
entered Somalia, a police spokesman said Saturday.
Eric Kiraithe said the
killings are believed to have been carried out by sympathizers of the
Somali insurgent group al-Shabab since October in Kenya. He said most of
the attacks were carried out in towns near the border between the two
nations.
Police say that dozens of Kenyan
youth have been recruited by al-Shabab and are operating in the country.
Al-Qaida announced earlier this month that it was merging with
al-Shabab.
A Kenyan man admitted to being an
al-Shabab member and was sentenced to life in prison late October after
pleading guilty to throwing a grenade at a packed bus stop that killed
one person in the capital city.
Kenya blames the militant group for several kidnappings, including those of four Europeans on Kenyan soil.
Soon
after Kenya’s military incursion, al-Shabab vowed to bring down
skyscrapers and carry out suicide bombings in Kenya’s capital.
The
militant group claimed responsibility for the July 2010 suicide attacks
in Kampala, Uganda which killed 76 people watching the World Cup final.
Military
spokesman Col. Cyrus Oguna said the government is in discussions with
influential religious leaders and community leaders to intervene to seek
the release of more than 10 Kenyans being held captive by al-Shabab.
He
said since the operation began the Kenyan army is now 68 miles (nearly
110 kilometers) inside Somalia but their advance has been slowed down
because efforts to pacify the local communities.
“Pacification
must continue until we are confident that the area is very stable very
secure allow us to move forward,” Oguna said.
SOURCE:
BCNN1 WP 