Kenyan military vows to continue operation against Al- Shabaab

Kenya's military said it would push ahead with its advances into southern Somalia despite confirmations of arms shipment in support of Al-Shabaab. Military spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir said the troops will continue to launch major offensive against the insurgents blamed for a series of abductions in Kenya and who were receiving arms from unknown place. "We are well prepared for a major offensive against Al-Shabaab. The deliveries of arms will not deter us from moving ahead with our mission," Chirchir said on Wednesday. Speaking on a local radio station, Chirchir reiterated his Tuesday warning that air strikes against the Somali militia targets were imminent to prevent the weapons reaching militant bases. "Today morning we have heard positive confirmation that there was another landing of aircraft with weapons. This was delivered in areas around Baidoa. We are aware two other planes landed there yesterday (Tuesday)," the army spokesman told the station. He vowed that their troops are well equipped and will continue pushing forward and ensure that liberated areas are occupied by the Transitional Government of Somalia soldiers. The military spokesman said Kenya was keenly tracing the armaments delivered to Al-Shabaab militants as part of Kenya's strategy to "weaken the enemy." The Kenya Defense Forces said two aircraft carrying the arms landed in the Al-Shabaab controlled town of Baidoa on Tuesday with the ultimate aim of launching attacks against Kenyan troops. The military advised residents of the 10 towns, namely Baidoa, Baadheere, Baydhabo, Dinsur, Afgooye, Bwale, Barawe, Jilib, Kismayu and Afamadow, to avoid any contact with the militants so that they are not endangered in case of attacks. "On November 1, 2011, we reliably confirmed that two aircraft landed in Baidoa with arms." However, Chirchir did not indicate who delivered the weapons, but local media reports put the blame on Eritrea. But Eritrea on Wednesday denied media reports that it sent two planes loaded with weapons to Al-Shabaab militants in southern Somalia. Eritrea's Foreign Ministry released a statement Wednesday calling the accusations "pure fabrication and outright lies." The ministry denied that it has supplied weapons to the al- Qaeda-linked group and claimed the reports were part of a "disinformation campaign" to undermine Eritrea. Chirchir said the Kenyan troops are adequately prepared for the major offensive and will strike Al-Shabaab targets as planned. "We have all it takes and what is required in the battlefield, we will hit the targets as planned but at this point we are concentrating on how to disarm the enemy," Chirchir said. He said Kenya was tracking two consignments of weapons destined for Al-Shabaab that had been flown into Somalia in the past two days, and would strike any rebel bases where the arms were delivered. Chirchir said that towns stretching from Baidoa south to the port city of Kismayo will be "under attack continuously." He added that "our forces are safe, our mission is on course, the enemy is on the run." Al-Shabaab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, is locked in a battle with the weak UN-back interim government for control of the parts of the country which are currently outside its power, particularly the capital, Mogadishu.