NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A Kenyan military spokesman says at least 60 militants were killed in airstrikes on a base of an al-Qaida-linked group Kenyan troops are pursuing in Somalia.
Col. Cyrus Oguna said Saturday the airstrikes on Garbaharey town on Friday were prompted by a tip that al-Shabab militants had gathered in the area to refuel their vehicles.
Oguna says the death toll from the airstrikes could rise.
Kenya sent hundreds of troops into neighboring Somalia in October to pursue al-Shabab militants who it blames for a string of kidnappings on Kenyan soil, including those of four Europeans. The kidnappings threatened Kenya's tourism industry, a key source of revenue for the country. Al-Shabab is waging an insurgency against Somalia's weak, U.N.-backed government.
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