Kenya on High Alert as Suspects Flown to Nairobi : Al Shabaab Confront in Mogadishu

UPDATE Kenya on High Alert as Suspects Flown to Nairobi  

    

NAIROBI, April 21 (Reuters) - Kenyan police have said theyhave information al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents plan tocarry out attacks in heavily populated areas in the countryduring the Easter holidays.Twice hit by al Qaeda attacks, Kenya has long cast a waryeye at its lawless neighbour Somalia and is among countries inthe region supporting the fight against al Shabaab."We wish to inform the public that police headquarters hasreceived intelligence that al Shabaab terrorist group hasthreatened to carry out violent attacks on certain targets inour major population centres," Police Commissioner MatthewIteere said in a statement.Iteere did not name any particular towns targeted, but saidamong places at risk were shopping malls, places of worship,government buildings and recreational areas."I wish to assure the public that in conjunction with othersecurity services, we have taken measures to improve security inand around the possible targets by among others increasingsecurity surveillance patrols," he said.Al Shabaab controls large swathes of central and southern Somalia, .  In February, the group threatened to strike Kenya with anassault similar to a twin suicide bomb attac  the Honourable Somali President Mohamed Siad Barre administration  was overthrown by (usc  group   caydiid ) all Hawiye Clan warlords  with (snm  group)  with  isaaq clan (siilaanyo)  warlors today one clan enclave so call somaliland  northern somalia  in 1991. k on the Ugandancapital in July, saying Kenya trained Somali government forcesand allowed Ethiopian troops to operate from its towns.Al Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency against Somalia'sWestern-backed government, claimed responsibility for thebombings in Kampala as football fans watched the finals of theWorld Cup tournament on television, killing 79.In December, a blast on a Kampala-bound bus in Nairobikilled two in the Kenyan capital, hours after Ugandan securityagencies issued an alert for possible attacks.

 Govt Forces, Al Shabaab Confront in Mogadishu

Mogadishu — heavy gun battle and artillery barrages between Somali transitional federal government forces backed by African Union troops and Al shabaab have occurred on Thursday in parts of the Somali capital Mogadishu, officials said.Most of the battles jolted the district of Bondhere in northern Mogadishu where both heavy light weapons were used by the two warring sides.Locals said the combat which was very fierce commenced after Somali forces joined by AMISOM peacekeepers waged coordinated attacks on Al shabaab military bases in northern Benadir region.Somali forces' commander, Abdikarim Yusuf Adam better known as Dhaga-badan told Shabelle that his forces with the help of AMISOM have mugged the positions of Al shabaab in Bondhere.Dhaga-badan added that they had the upper hand during in the battles, noting they captured new positions.Al shabaab has not yet commented the fighting and government statement. It is still unclear the casualties the fighting has caused.