Kenyan jets kill 60 or more Somali Islamist insurgents

Kenyan fighter jets killed at least 60 Islamist Shebab insurgents in southern Somalia in the latestair strike on insurgent positions, officials saidyesterday.

We will keep hitting them until their spine is completely broken and we will relish that moment

“Levels of casualties were very high in air strikes on Friday,” Kenyan army spokesman Colonel Cyrus Oguna told reporters, adding the bombing raids hit rebel positions in Garbahare in southern Somalia’s Gedo region.

“Provisional casualties are that Al-Shebab lost 60 or more fighters, and more than 50 were injured,” Oguna added.

Al-Qaeda linked Shebab rebels have repeatedly dismissed Kenyan casualties reports as lies, and it was not possible to independently confirm the deaths.

Kenya sent troops across the border into Somalia in October to battle the hardline militants it blamed for a spate of attacks on home soil, andare fighting alongside Somali pro-government forces.

“We will keep hitting them (Shebab) until their spine is completely broken... and we will relish that moment,” Oguna added.

Hardline Shebab fighters control large parts of central and southern Somalia but are facing increasing pressure from government forces and regional armies.

Ethiopian forces moved across its border into Somalia in November, and last month fought alongside pro-government gunmen to wrest control of Beledweyne in central Somalia’s Hiran region from the insurgents.