Kenya military clash with al-Shabaab extremists

Kenyan troops in Somalia may have killed 21 suspected al-Shabaab extremists who were plotting an ambush in southern Somalia, said a Kenyan official.
A lone gunman shot at the Kenyan troops on Tuesday and fled while the troops were on the way to Tabda in southern Somalia, military spokesperson Colonel David Obonyo said on Wednesday. The troops searched the area and found rebels planning an ambush, he said.
Kenya troops are among the African Union troops bolstering Somalia’s weak UN-backed government against an insurgency by al-Shabaab rebels who are linked to al-Qaeda.
Al-Shabaab espouses a fundamentalist version of Islam, which follows strict Shari’ah law and has carried out amputations and executions, including stoning to death.
Despite losing control of Somalia’s major cities, al-Shabaab frequently carries out violent attacks in Somalia and neighbouring countries.