Kenyan troops seize Somali’s third town

The Kenyan military forces with the help of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia forces have taken control of a third Al Shabaab controlled town of Afmadow.

The town was taken over Tuesday morning on day three of an offensive that aims to flash out the militia group that has recently started raiding Kenya.

Military Spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir told KBC on phone that the operation was going on well despite the heavy down pour which has slowed it down.

Chirchir said they have information on the location where the two Spanish aid workers seized by gunmen from Dadaab refugee camp are being held. He said the military will be moving to the area later in the day.

Afmadow resident Hussein Osman Roble said warplanes were swooping low in the skies above the rebel stronghold .

"Most residents have been fleeing since yesterday towards Dhobley," Roble told Reuters by telephone from inside Afmadow, referring to the border area now cleared of militants .

"Jets have flown low over Afmadow, terrifying the residents, while al Shabaab is digging trenches and tunnels for defense inside and around Afmadow," Roble said.

On Monday, heavily armed Kenyan forces were concentrating their offensive at Qoqani region, about 100 kilometres from the border.

Al-Shabaab has warned of attacks in Kenya unless the troops withdraw.  Al-Shabab spokesman Ali Mohamud Rage said: "We will defend ourselves. Kenya doesn’t know war. We know war. The tall buildings in Nairobi will be destroyed.

"We have fought against governments older and stronger than Kenya and we have defeated them

Kenya launched an air and ground assault on the weekend, in response to several recent cross-border abductions it blames on al-Shabab.

The hard-line group, which controls much of southern Somalia, denies carrying out the kidnappings.

Last month, a British woman and a Frenchwoman were abducted by suspected Al Shabaab militia from beach resorts at the Coast in two separate incidents.