From DW World:
Al-Shabab insurgents have attacked a police station in northern Kenya in what they say is retaliation for Kenya’s ongoing military incursion into Somalia.
This coincides with claims by Kenyan troops that they have scored a major victory against al-Shabab in the southern and central regions of Somalia.
The Islamist militia has carried out a series of attacks against Kenyan targets in the border region since Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October 2011. This was in response to a string of kidnappings of tourists and aid workers inside Kenya, which were blamed on al-Shabab.
For an assessment of the latest clashes, Deutsche Welle spoke to Anneli Botha, a senior researcher with the International Crime in Africa Program at the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria.
Deutsche Welle: Against the background of the latest clashes, how worried should refugees and humanitarian aid workers in this region be?
Anneli Botha: I think in any situation when you deal with al-Shabab, it’s very difficult to place on a map exactly where they are and keep them under control. The situation is very fluid, and whether it’s a refugee camp in Kenya or whether it’s the whole bush area, it is a matter of great concern at this stage.
