The Kenya Defence Forces has destroyed six Shabaab transit camps in the Boni Forest in Lamu County.
“They were camps formed by the terrorists as they planned to conduct attacks in various parts of Lamu,” said Boni Enclave Campaign director Joseph Kanyiri.
AMBUSH
He confirmed that security officers also recovered weapons, including AK-47 rifles, grenade-making tools, food and medicine in the camps.
Speaking to the Nation on Monday, Mr Kanyiri said an undisclosed number of Shabaab militants were killed during the ambush and bombing of their hideouts.
Others escaped with bullet wounds, he added.
Mr Kanyiri urged hospitals in Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, Kilifi and Mombasa counties to report to the police anyone seeking treatment from bullet wounds.
He said the operation was successful as it eliminated Al-Shabaab militants who had set base inside the dense forest.
LINDA BONI
In September 2015, the national government launched the ‘Linda Boni’ operation with the objective of flushing out the Al-Shabaab elite group Jaysh Al-Ayman from Boni Forest.
The militia group was said to have been operating from the forest since 2012 in retaliation to the deployment of Kenyan troops to Somalia to conduct in the Linda Nchi Operation.
Mr Kanyiri praised security agencies for being diligent and selfless while on their duty to rid Lamu and the neighbouring counties of Al-Shabaab.
He said with the constant bombings inside the forest, the militants could no longer hide there.
Mr Kanyiri urged Al-Shabaab returnees in Lamu to surrender to the police for rehabilitation and re-integration into the society. He added that the government amnesty for Al-Shabaab returnees was still ongoing.
Mr Kanyiri added that the crackdown on militants in the forest will continue until they are all eliminated.