(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) The Somali Islamist extremist group al-Shabab says it captured some Kenyan soldiers during last week's attack on an African Union peacekeeping base in southwestern Somalia.
Somali troops and Kenyan soldiers with the AU force AMISOM are deployed at the isolated base. Also Sunday four wounded Kenyan soldiers were airlifted home but Kenyan officials gave no death toll. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed Friday some soldiers had been killed in the attack which involved suicide car bombs and gunmen. Kenyan Defense Secretary Raychelle Omamo says a search rescue and recovery operation is underway in the area of the attack. She added the operation area remains dangerous volatile and fluid.
In a statement Sunday al-Shabab claimed the number of dead Kenyan troops had risen to 100. It was not possible to verify that figure. Al-Shabab frequently exaggerates the number of troops they kill while AMISOM rarely gives exact tolls. The attack came as politicians met in the southern port of Kismayo with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud leading a "National Consultative Forum" to debate planned elections due later this year.