EVENT SUMMARY
- 15th January 2016, Terrorist in Somalia attacked a remote KDF manned camp in El Adde, Gedo region in Somalia.
- Military reports indicate that the terrorists used vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) to ram into the camp following with fiery gunfire.
- KDF suffered undisclosed number of casualties as Special Forces deployed on search and rescue mission.
- So far KDF has responded to the Friday terrorists attack, reports indicating heavy casualties on the Somali linked Al-Shabaab.
- Military investigating whether pro-ISIS wing in Somalia linked to the deadly assault on the KDF base.
ASSESSMENT/ANALYSIS
Kenya’s military is investigating the recent El Adde attack on a KDF base on Friday 15th January 2016 that left unconfirmed number of soldiers dead.
Kenya’s Inspector General of Police General of Police Joseph Boinnet shared Intelligence reports citing that the Somali base Al-Shabaab had into two groups; one supporting ISIS and the other allied to Al Qaeda.
Intelligence reports further warned that the two split faction may compete to conduct an attack possibly targeting a security forces installation to prove of their strength and capability to their other faction and to convince their following (fighters) of their relevancy n the jihadists circles.
Military sources report the El Adde attack was conducted in a style increasingly being used by Middle East linked Islamic State (IS/ISIS/ISIL/Daesh) in its attacks.
Global Security, an organization that specializes in security research provides a some incidences whereby the Islamic State in a series of attacks using vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) indicating a growing technique in attacks by ISIS.
In the attacks referenced by global security organization, the militants use a lead vehicle as a decoy or a barrier buster with intention that when stopped by security forces for inspection, a second one this time fitted with heavy explosives comes crashing into their target before detonating.
This technique increases the casualties’ levels. Indiscriminate gun fire follows.
SUMMARY
Military reports indicate last week attack on KDF base in El Adde similarly adopted the same technique, whereby a suicide bomber droved the VBIED into the target, detonated the huge bomb with fragmentation radius estimate of 200 metres, militant gun fire then followed into the camp.
Chief of Defence Forces, General Samson Mwathethe confirmed that the attacked deployed three VBIEDs to strike, followed by suicide bombers.
VBIEDs used in the KDF attack were made from an Armoured Personnel Carrier captured from Burundian peacekeepers last year and taken to the outskirts of El Adde from Wargadud, 40km north of El Adde.
ISIS has used VBIED technique in Syria and last year April in Iraq when they captured Ramadi.
The Islamic State fighters launched at least 27 such vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices that destroyed Iraq security forces’ defensive perimeters and crumbled multi-storey buildings as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The execution was well timed on a tactical weakness aimed to take advantage of forces rotations. As investigation continues to what transpired on the KDF outpost in El Adde, KDF has retaliated BDA showing heavy casualties on Al-Shabaab operatives in Gedo region, Somalia.
