David Okwembah
8 January 2007
Nairobi — Seven vehicles belonging the fleeing Somali Islamic militia have been destroyed in the latest gun battle between them and Ethiopian soldiers near Amuma centre in Garissa District.
The battle is reported to have taken place last Thursday at a no-man's land on the Kenya-Somalia border, at dawn.
Somali islamists fighters disembark from a "technical" vehicle as they serve as gurads during a rally against the US last year.
According to the district Administration Police boss S. Tune, the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) militiamen who were fleeing from Kismayu to Raskaboni Forest on the Kenya-Somalia border, near Lamu.
By Friday morning, the area, which was littered with all manner of weapons, had been sealed off by soldiers from a Kenya Army platoon led by Lieutenant Busienei.
Inspector Tune, who led the Nation team to the battle scene, which is 18 kilometres from Amuma centre, said the fleeing militia had engaged the Ethiopian soldiers into a brief but fierce battle before they were overpowered by aerial attacks.
"Gunshots were heard near Amuma centre where Kenyan soldiers, who are based in Nanyuki, have been camping since December 31, last year," he said.
The scene, which was littered with thousands of bullets, had a big trench that had been dug by what the Kenyan military officers believed to have been a bomb.
The destroyed vehicles were also at the scene.
When the Nation team arrived at the scene, the area had already been secured and a ballistic expert, Colonel Omollo, had been dispatched by the Department of Defence to assess the weapons and how they could be destroyed.
Among the weapons strewn at the scene included hand grenades, landmines, mortars, light bombs and an assortment of bullets.
Col Omollo and Lt Busienei referred the Nation team's queries on the matter to the DoD.
But we established that Col Omollo was expected to remain at the scene until the weapons were removed or destroyed.
However, some soldiers stationed there claimed that villagers from the Somalia side of the border had stolen some of the weapons.
More officers have been sent to beep up security at Amuma Administration Police camp, which is 10 metres away from the army camp.
The soldiers have been carrying out patrols on the common border between Kenya and Somalia since the war started.
Inspector Tune said the soldiers, together with APs and regular police, "are keeping the border secure".
Amuma chief Ismail Buno said no refugees from Somalia had been turned away at the border point as alleged by the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees.
However, the claim was refuted by officials of the agency, who did not want to be named.
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