KENYA Defence Forces yesterday finally went into combat with al-Shabaab leaving nine militia dead and two KDF soldiers injured. Military spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir said in a bulletin that about 45 militia members attacked Kenya Defence Force units in Sector Central at about 11.30am as they were moving from Tabda to Beles Qooqani to reinforce soldiers from the Transitional Federal Government.

The two wounded KDF soldiers, one "critically", were airlifted to Nairobi for treatment. "All the three sectors continue to experience heavy rains impeding military movement", said Chirchir. The movement of troops in Sector Central who entered Somalia through the Liboi border point has been particularly hampered.

In Sector South, where troops entered Somalia through Ras Kamboni on the coast, KDF carried out an air attack in Anole yesterday at 6am. "Prior to this attack, the area was held as an Al Shabaab logistical and training camp," Chirchir said yesterday, adding that damage from the incident is yet to be assessed. He said ground troops were by last evening preparing to capture "Burgavo, a key town for charcoal and fish business also controlled by Al Shabaab."

In Sector North, KDF has captured Busar town and is now moving towards Burahache. Yesterday there was confusion over whether government would negotiate with al Shabaab. "They want to talk," reported CNN quoting an unnamed government official. And in Parliament Foreign Affairs assistant minister Richard Onyonka said the government's aim was to harbor the al-Shabaab agents locally and engage them on how to resolve the Somalia conflict in non violent ways.

"We know that we have had some al Shabaab people staying in Kenya and living here and it was a deliberate government decision to allow them to stay here because we were engaged with them. But they were allowed to be around with expectation that they would not be vesting their violence on Kenyans and that they would be individuals who were willing to negotiate and discuss with us," he said. "The details are available, where they own their properties where their monies are, the Kenya government knows that," he added.

Addressing the press, Onyonka said the government was ready to negotiate with al Shabaab if it renounces violence. He also said the government has written to the government of Somalia seeking a clarification over the remarks by President Sheikh Sharif that Kenya troops are not welcome in the country.

But government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua said Kenya would not talk with Al-Shabaab even if the group did want to negotiate. "Al-Shabaab has not contacted Kenya in any way," said Mutua. "There are no plans whatsoever for Kenya to negotiate with Al-Shabaab. Kenya does not negotiate with outlawed groups." "They are running scared. I think they are busy running for their lives," Mutua said. "They don't have time to talk.'

"Kenya government strategy is to destroy Al Shabaab's network within the shortest time possible. Kenya has no intention to stay in Somalia an hour beyond necessary. Once our objective is met as per the framework of the AU and IGAD, Kenyan troops will withdraw and leave the security operations to AU mission troops and TFG troops," Mutua said.

In north-eastern Kenya yesterday four people were killed when a hand grenade was thrown at their vehicle at 9am in Lafey district, Mandera County at Damaso Junction. Those killed were Lafey District Education Officer Yussuf Godana, Lafey High Secondary School Principal Hassan Sheikh Ali, former Alungu Ward councilor Biriki Mohamed and the driver of the Toyota Hilux vehicle they were travelling in.

Area councillor Adan Hussein Wiriq told the Star that they were going to Mandera town to collect KCSE examination papers for physics practical that candidates will sit for tomorrow. Wiriq said the vehicle belonged to the killed school principal. The vehicle was attacked at Kamor Liban village seven kilometers from Lafey town.

North Eastern PC James ole Serian addressed the press after chairing an emergency Provincial Security Committee meeting in his office. "Following the incident, I am ordering the security agencies to intensify patrols at the border and the whole province. It is also my appeal to wananchi to remain vigilant and report any suspicious persons to the relevant authority," said the PC.

He discouraged people from travelling at night without escort. "People should from now henceforth stop using the Elwak-Lafey and Mandera road and instead use the Elawk Ramu one since the former is becoming increasingly dangerous to use," ole Serian said. He ordered all DCs, DOs, chiefs and their assistants to to hold three barazas in the next three days to explain to the residents why they need to remain alert.

In Nairobi Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere yesterday announced the arrest of two more suspects in connection with the cache of weapons seized from an apartment in Kayole estate.

Iteere yesterday revealed that the two suspects were allegedly accomplices of Elgiva Bwire Oliacha aka Mohammed Seif who on Wednesday pleaded guilty in court to eight counts including being a member of Al Shabaab. "We have arrested two accomplices of the suspect arrested with a cache of weapons in Kayole and they are scheduled to appear in court today (Thursday) or tomorrow (Friday). Investigations have so far revealed that one of the suspects arrested yesterday had travelled for training to Somalia in February and returned in September," Iteere said.

The police boss revealed that detectives are trailing young men, not necessarily Somalis, who had returned from Somalia. "We require all information on all young men who at one time traveled to Somalia. They had no other reason to travel there than train and come back to propagate al Shabaab interests in the country," the police boss said.

Yesterday al-Shabaab called for intensified action in Kenya. "The Kenyan Mujahideen who were trained by Osama in Afghanistan; stop throwing grenades at buses," Sheikh Muktar Robow Abu Mansoor, a senior al-Shabaab official, told a demonstration of hundreds of people in Elasha, near the capital Mogadishu, according to Reuters. "We need a huge blow against Kenya. Hand grenades hurled can harm them, but we want huge blasts. "Now Kenya's planes are bombing us, and their tanks are inside Somalia. Let's fight collectively and defeat them as we defeated the Christian countries who invaded us before."