This is a guest post by Kennedy Mugera.
In response to Al Shabaab’s attack on a military base, the Kenya Defense forces yesterday confirmed the killing of Al Shabaab’s intelligence Chief Mohammed Karatey.
“A Kenyan airstrike has killed the intelligence chief of Somalia’s militant Islamist group Al Shabaab,” an army statement said.
According to the statement, Mohamed Karatey and 10 other Al Shabaab commanders were killed while attending a passing out parade of trained recruits in Southern Somalia on February the 8th. Among the new recruits, were suicide bombers, assassins and explosives experts. It is estimated that more than 40 fighters were killed in the strike by the army.
Karatey is said to have plaid a key role in last month’s attack on a KDF military base in neighboring Somalia, which the Al Shabaab claimed to have killed more than 100 troops on 15th January.
Karatey, also known as Abdirahim Mohamed Warsame was last year designated a terrorist by the US State Department.
According to the army, he played a major role in the Garissa University Massacre last year, where 147 students were killed and scores of others injured.
Kenyan troops entered Somalia in 2011 in a bid to fight a war on terror. The government continues to sponsor the stay of over 4000 troops in Somalia amid descent and increasing public frustration by the toll it’s taken on the country.