Al-Shabaab fighter kills 3 Kenyan soldiers in Somalia

Three Kenyan soldiers were killed after an Al-Shabaab gunman stormed their military base south of Somalia.

Citing a Kenyan military official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Associated Press (AP) said a lone Al-Shabaab gunman indiscriminately fired at soldiers in the base killing three and wounding five others before he was gunned down.

According to AP, the attack took place on Monday morning at the Sarira Forward Operating Base in the Lower Jubba region of southern Somalia near the border with Kenya.

Al-Shabaab confirmed it was responsible for the attack.

“We believe the lone wolf was testing the ground for more such incidents. We must be more careful and vigilant,” said the Kenyan military official. “As we near the festivities, we need to be very vigilant of our surroundings. The terror threat is still rife and all measures should be taken to tame any plan.”

Kenya Defence Forces have maintained presence in Somalia since moving into the country in October 2011 to pursue Al-Shabaab insurgents after accusing the group of a series of kidnappings of tourists along the border.

The Kenyan forces were formally integrated under the banner of the African Union in February 2012. Currently, there are approximately 3664 Kenyan soldiers in southern Somalia under ATMIS, formerly AMISOM.

In response, Al-Shabaab has frequently launched cross-border attacks in the remote Kenyan cities as well as major attacks in the capital Nairobi.