The Al Shabaab militia has revealed how a Kenyan national helped the organisation carry out its deadliest attack that left over 170 African Union (AU) soldiers dead.
In a statement on Wednesday, May 11, according to the Counter-Terrorism and Security Intelligence, the militia claimed that the attack was carried out by a Kenyan identified as Jamaal Diba Diida, also known as Zubeyr Al-Muhaajir.
Diida is said to have driven a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED) that bombed the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) leaving a trail of deaths.
The May 3 incident affected Burundian Forces who had camped at the El-Baraf Forces in Somalia.
The incident formed the first major attack on the ATMIS Forward Operating Base (FOB) shortly after it took over operations in Somalia from The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Diida had worked with the group for several years.
In an earlier statement, Al Shabaab claimed that it had captured an unknown number of soldiers who were attached to ATMIS.
The incident took place at Somalia's Middle Shabelle region where the attacker drove the truck into the base after which an exchange of heavy gunfire ensued.
In a statement, however, the Burundian army insists that only 10 soldiers passed away during the fight while an additional 25 sustaining injuries.
The army further noted that 20 Al Shabaab soldiers were killed while only five Burundian soldiers went missing after the attack.
Kenya, which has soldiers fighting in Somalia, has also stepped up its border surveillance since the attack took place.
The country is now surveying the Kenya-Somalia border and is alert to avert any planned strikes on the Kenyan soil by the militia group.
