Kenya’s military spokesman Col. Cyrus Oguna said Monday that the soldier allegedly fired at a group of people on Sunday who approached a Kenyan army defensive position in the southern town of Jana Cabdalla. Kenyan troops recently captured Jana Cabdalla from al-Shabab rebels.
Kenya’s army is part of the African Union force supporting Somalia’s internationally backed government that is battling an insurgency from al-Shabab which is affiliated to al-Qaida. Somalia has been in chaos since 1991 when warlords overthrew a long-time dictator and then turned on each other.
At least nine innocent civilians were massacred by the Kenyan military, serving under the African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in southern Somali village on Sunday, and reports said.
The shooting happened in Janay Abdalla, a small village located just about 50km from the militant-held port city of Kismayo, when Al shabab fighters attacked the allied forces in the area.
On Monday, Somali and Kenyan forces are reportedly reached in Janay Abdalla, where the Kenyan forces shot and killed at least 9 pastorals men as they were buying sugar at shopping malls in the village.
Sources said the army officers are holding talks with the local elders As well as relatives of those killed men, to chat about the incident and launch and investigation over the butchery against civilians.
Locals expressed shock and angry over the automatic mass killing by Kenyan forces and called for community protection during such military operations.
Meanwhile, Col. Ali Aden Hamud, a spokesman for AMISOM, told the BBC Somali service that the incident is very upsetting and heartfelt matter, adding that they will take an appropriate action after the investigation was completed.
Kenyan army invaded into Somalia last October, to stop a spate of cross-border attacks and killings against officials and foreign aid workers that blamed on the Al-Shabab.