Kenyan troops move closer to militants' base
Kenyan and Somali government troops edged closer yesterday to a town in southern Somalia where Islamist militants linked to al-Qa'ida have grouped, hoping to strike a quick blow against them.
The al-Shabaab rebels, who are blamed by Nairobi for several kidnappings of foreigners on Kenyan soil, pose a significant security threat in the Horn of Africa region. Kenya launched an air-and-ground offensive against them a week ago.
The Somali rebels have reinforced their defences in the town of Afmadow, a strategic transit point for goods trafficked illegally through the rebel-controlled Kismayu port, al Shabaab's nerve centre for operations. Reuters
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