Bloody week for African jihadists as anti-terror strikes down scores ahead of Obama visit

Malian troops, pictured in a file photo, killed several jihadists near the country's southern border with Ivory Coast and destroyed the insurgents' camp in a forest straddling the frontier, several Malian military officials said.

(AFP photo)

No less than 30 members of Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab militants were killed in a US drone strike on Thursday, the Kenyan government said, as Mali said it had killed several jihadists as regional governments battled back terrorism.

“Over 30 were killed, among them most wanted terrorists,” Kenyan interior ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka said, even as the government doubled back on an earlier claim that the alleged mastermind of the Garissa University massacre was among the dead.

Njoka said that “several masterminds” of a string of recent attacks inside Kenya were killed, but retracted his earlier statement that the mastermind of the April Garissa University massacre, Mohamed Mohamud, also known by the aliases of Dulyadin, Kuno and Gamadhere was among the dead.

“It was a US drone. Kenyan forces usually provide ground support, information and intelligence on such strikes,” the spokesman said.

Thursday’s reported drone attack came just over a week before US President Barack Obama is due in Kenya for his first visit to the country since he became president. Obama earlier this week said terrorism would be part of his agenda when he visits.

A statement from Kenya’s defence ministry, meanwhile, said 51 Shabaab militants were killed in the area although it said this was due to an “artillery bombardment” by African Union forces and made no mention of any drones.

“Fifty-one Al-Shebab militants were killed including several middle-level commanders who have been responsible for attacks in the Mandera region” of northeastern Kenya, the statement said, describing it as “major setback to the militants.”

In April, four Shabaab militants massacred 148 people at the Garissa University in Kenya’s northeast, in what was the group’s deadliest single attack to date. Most of the victims were students.

The United States has in recent years launched numerous drone strikes against Shabaab leaders, including a strike last September that killed the group’s leader Ahmed Abdi Godane.

According to traditional elders near Bardhere town in the southern Gedo region, at least two missiles struck vehicles believed to be carrying Shabaab commanders.

“We heard two big explosions and the information we are getting indicates that vehicles were targeted close to a Shabaab military base,” said Abdiwahab Ali, an elder at a village close to the scene.

“Village residents are telling us a missile fired from an aircraft struck a vehicle and a nearby military camp belonging to Shabaab,” said Hassan Gesle, another elder.

Immediately after the attack the mobile phone network in Bardhere was cut off, making it impossible to reach Shabaab commanders for comment.