MILITARY BRIEF
KDF’s Special Forces took three days walking tirelessly for over 100 kilometers to reach El Adde KDF base that was attacked last Friday 15th January 2016.
Chief of Defence Forces General Samson together with other service commanders briefed the media at Department of Defence Headquarters yesterday (21st January 2016) on volatile mission to El Adde base.
General Mwathethe told journalists on the hiccups the Special Forces encountered on the morning of attack to get to El Adde noting that the forces rescue mission was frustrated by the realization that Al-Shabaab militants had positioned anti-aircraft guns in the target area and had to re-strategize.
Chief of Defence Forces however stressed that though KDF is a contingent with AMISOM banner, the multinational mission did not offer adequate assistance and thus KDF used their own resources.
Sector II commander deployed two aircraft to offer assistance but were informed that the enemy (Al-Shabaab) had put anti-aircraft guns within El Adde leaving KDF with only one option of deploying ground troops.
KDF troops from Mandera, Elwak and Wajir were quickly mobilized to embark on long walk to Damasa before getting to El Adde.
By midday Aerial surveillance aircraft quickly scrambled to confirm affirmative report on the ground situation.
A Kismayo bound air craft was quickly diverted to monitor the situation in El Adde
Aerial surveillance aircraft were quickly scrambled to confirm the situation and reported back in the affirmative.
The surveillance aircraft reported of Al-Shabaab loading Kenya equipment’s and weapons into the Kenyan trucks in El Adde camp.
10 minutes after the trucks moved out of the camp, the trucks were hit by KDF attack helicopters destroying some of the looted weapons and equipment
Another truck static carrying looted equipment that had split ways was also hit though the other one managed to get to Walgadud and was not been tracked.
By this time the rescue operation was on the group and managed to rescue a group of soldiers who had walked from El Adde close to the Kenyan border. Surveillance aircraft continued to monitor the area as the ground troops advanced on foot fighting their way from Damasa then to El Adde.
More KDF soldiers were rescued while two enemy camps were completely destroyed during the advance operation.
It on the third day the advancing troops raided and destroyed two camps killing dozens of Al-Shabaab including the commander of the Abu Zubeir Brigade Maalim Janow believed to have led the El Adde attack.
On the third day, the advancing troops attacked and destroyed two camps, killing many Shabaab attackers, including Maalim Janow, the leader of the Abu Zubeir Brigade, believed to have led the El Adde attack, Gen Mwathethe reported.
Gen Mwathethe then conformed on the fourth day the gound troops managed to get at the El Adde camp where search and rescue mission continued. More survivors and fallen heroes were airlifted to Nairobi on the same day.
