Somali president says 180 Kenyan soldiers died in El-Adde raid

Somalia’s president has given some details about the death toll of the al-Shabab attack on Kenyan soldiers in the el-Adde military base last month.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud put the figure at between 180 and 200, during an interview on Somali Cable TV.

The Islamist militants said 100 Kenyan troops died. Kenya has not disclosed any information on casualties.

He was defending his recent visit to Kenya as people on social media had been critical of his visit so soon after the Lido beach attack in the capital, Mogadishu, later in January.

But he said it was important to pay tribute to the Kenyan soldiers who were killed:

“When 180 or close to 200 soldiers who were sent to us are killed in one day in Somalia, it’s not easy . The soldiers have been sent to Somalia to help us get peace in our country, and their families are convinced that they died while on duty”

Source: BBC