Kenyan planes strike Al Shabab: At least 10 dead

Kenyan fighter jets have bombed the southern Somali town of Jilib, Voice of America reports.

"We received intelligence that a top Al Shabab leader was to visit a camp in Jilib so we conducted an air raid," Kenya army spokesman Maj. Emmanuel Chirchir told BBC News.

Al Shabab has been behind a recent series of kidnappings of foreigners and other attacks in Kenya.

More from GlobalPost: Kenya bus attack "kills four" near Somalia border: reports

Two weeks ago, Kenyan troops invaded southern Somalia, an area largely controlled by Al Shabab, to disrupt the Al Qaeda-linked organization.

More from GlobalPost: Kenya News: Kenya troops fight Al Shabaab extremist rebels in Somalia

At least 10 people were killed and at least 45 people were wounded in the airstrike. The Kenya army claims those killed were militants, BBC News reports.

However, local officials said civilians at the camp for internally displaced people that Al Shabab militants were visiting also died, VOA reports. The militants were reportedly there to distribute food.

Chirchir said these reports were "Al Shabab propaganda,” BBC News reports.

Medecins Sans Frontieres said in a statement on Sunday that its medical personnel were treating dozens of civilians injured in the air raid, the BBC reports.
 

Will you support The World? 

The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?