Kenyan warships attacked the Somali port of Kismaya on Saturday night, despite al Shabaab rebels stating that they were abandoning the city, reported residents.
According to al Shabaab, two children were killed, and several others wounded. In a statement, the Kenyan military spokesperson, Col. Cyrus Oguna, denied this, and argued that the rebels said they had abandoned the town to lure the Kenyan troops into a trap.
Speaking to Reuters, Oguna said,
"The troops are consolidating and making plans to expand into the southern part of the city,"
"A lot of caution must be exercised here. We don't want to get into a situation where we start to lose troops here and there."
Meanwhile, an al Shabaab official told Reuters,
"We are just waiting for the AU [African Union] and Somali troops to enter the town. We shall fight them in streets and alleys. We abandoned the town. Why don't they go in if they have the guts?"
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