Kenya's military launches offensive in Somalia

Kenya has sent troops into neighboring Somalia in search of Islamist militants suspected of carrying out recent abductions inside Kenya.

Two Spanish women working for an international non- profit organization, Doctors Without Borders, were abducted by armed men last week from the Dadaab refugee camp in eastern Kenya.

A Kenyan man working as a driver for another NGO was kidnapped last month in the same area.

The Kenyan government believes the al-Shabaab Islamist group is behind the abductions. The group controls much of southern Somalia.

Details of the Kenyan troop deployment remain unknown.
Reports say more than 20 armored vehicles including tanks crossed the border into Somalia on Sunday.

There are also reports that the Kenyan troops and forces of Somalia's transitional government have jointly attacked 2 al Shabaab strongholds near the border.

Al Shabaab has vowed to fight back.

Monday, October 17, 2011 11:08 +0900 (JST)