One of The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier on Wednesday gave a frightening narration of an ordeal he experienced during a past attack by Al Shabaab militants.
Sergeant Andrew Nzomo explained how he and seven other colleagues were attacked by 10 terrorists in Lamu County after their truck got stuck in the middle of the night, on May 25, 2014.
According to Nzomo, they were returning to Ras Kamboni area in Somalia with foodstuffs for the Kenyan troops but unfortunately stuck in the mud.
At around 11pm, the serviceman said they were approached by a vehicle which stopped a few metres from where they were.
Sergeant Nzomo said he moved closer to the vehicle accompanied by his colleagues and requested three of the occupants to alight with their identification documents.
Upon disembarking from the car, the driver claimed to have forgotten his documents and requested to get back to the car.
“He went back to the vehicle saying he was going to get his ID card. When I followed him, I realised he was signalling to someone who was in the passenger seat,” explained Nzomo.
The militant, however, drew a firearm and immediately shot dead two officers prompting a fierce gunbattle between the soldiers and the 10 terrorists.
Despite being shorthanded, the soldier recounted how he continued to fight the militants in a battle that lasted close to two hours with the help of moonlight.
“I took cover beneath the lorry. The fierce battle continued for more than two hours with the help of the light from the moon and that coming from the lorry,” he asserted.
The army man, who was testifying in a case against one of the suspects identified as Mudhar Said Jumaa, said he was in very close proximity with the attackers and could even physically identify them.
“I could clearly see Mr Jumaa who was dressed in a white vest. He had a round hat, wore a dark-blue short, had a bald head and a heavily built body with an overgrown beard,” he added.
During the 2014 attack, two loaded G3 rifles belonging to the troops were stolen with Mr Jumaa being the main suspect accused of orchestrating the attack.
