Somalia summons Kenyan ambassador to discuss barring federal ministers from entering Nairobi
Ahmed Salem
The Somali Federal Government summoned the Kenyan ambassador to Somalia for talks on Monday, following reports that several ministers in the Federal Government were barred from entering the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
According to official sources, Somali and Kenyan officials are scheduled to discuss the circumstances of the incident in which, according to reports, Somali officials were prevented from entering Nairobi after arriving at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Sources in the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the Kenyan ambassador was summoned to the ministry headquarters in Mogadishu, where the Somali government will seek official clarification regarding the incident.
An armed attack by al-Shabaab targets Kenyan forces on the Somali border.
Fighters launched Youth Movement A large-scale armed attack targeted a Kenyan Defense Forces military base in the Sheikh Barrow area of Mandera County, near the border between Somalia and Kenya, according to local sources.
Reports indicate that the attack involved violent clashes with various weapons between members of the movement and Kenyan forces, as the militants targeted a site belonging to the Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF), and the confrontations continued for some time.
Kenyan authorities have not yet issued an official statement about the attack, and the extent of casualties or damage has not been confirmed.
The Sheikh Barrow region is located near the Somali-Kenyan border, which has witnessed frequent activity by the al-Shabaab movement, which has carried out several attacks in recent years targeting security forces, government facilities, and civilian vehicles inside Kenyan territory.
This operation is part of a series of attacks carried out by the movement in northeastern Kenya, where it has previously targeted military bases in Mandera, Wajir and Garissa counties using direct attacks, improvised explosive devices and armed ambushes.
Kenya continues to strengthen its security measures along its border with Somalia, while Kenyan defense forces participate in regional efforts to combat the al-Shabaab movement as part of joint security operations.
In a separate context, the city of Marka, the capital of the Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia, witnessed a new security escalation after a base belonging to government forces was targeted by an explosion, in an attack claimed by the Al-Shabaab movement. The incident comes at a time when the Somali authorities are continuing their military operations against the movement, amid ongoing security challenges in a number of areas that are witnessing intensive activity by the organization.
The al-Shabaab movement claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that the explosion targeted a security site where Somali government forces were stationed inside the city of Marka.
