STORY: SOMALIA / AL SHABAAB ATTACK THWARTED TRT: 2:52 SOURCE: AU/UN IST RESTRICTIONS: This media asset is free

for editorial broadcast, print, online and radio use. It is not to be sold on and is restricted for other purposes. All enquiries to news@auunist.org CREDIT REQUIRED: AU/UN IST LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALIA/NATS DATELINE: 22 AUGUST 2013, KISMAYO SHOTLIST:
1. Med shot, tilt from heavy machine gun to bullet shells 2. Wide shot, gunner at his position with the heavy machine gun 3. Med shot, barrel of heavy machine gun 4. Close up, bullet shells 5. Wide shot, military technical with soldiers racing down the runway 6. Med shot, military vehicles technical driving on the Kismayo airport runway 7. Wide shot, AMISOM armored personnel carries dragging a destroyed vehicle 8. Med shot, AMISOM APC pulling destroyed al Shabaab vehicle 9. Med shot, destroyed vehicle being toed 10. Wide shot, soldiers from the Ras Kamboni Brigade and AMISOM soldiers 11. Wide shot , soldiers from the Ras Kamboni Brigade 12. SOUNDBITE (English) Major Emmanuel Okello, AMISOM KDF Officer: Today in the morning we patrolled out after last nights al Shabaab probing attack, so we left at 0700 in the morning. We moved out tactically to the exact locations where the vehicle behind us was hit and we managed to arrive at the scene without any incidents. We managed to find the Vehicle that the al Shabaab had used to come and attack us; there were actually on the route out when we hit them last night and thats where we found the vehicle in the middle of the road hit by mortar and artillery shrapnel. 13. Wide shot, AMISON soldiers checking the vehicle 14. Med shot, drivers sections of the destroyed al Shabaab vehicle 15. Med shot, AMISOM KDF soldier checking the vehicle 16. SOUNDBITE (English) Major Emmanuel Okello, AMISOM KDF Officer: These are some of the stuff we recovered from the scene of the attack, if you could look at this, these are some of the shoes that the enemy had worn and they are full of blood, which is a good indicator that we found quite a number of them. They had such water bottles; this is one of them, we found about seven and they had bloodstains around them. Such a vehicle can carry between 20-30 personnel, at the scene we found a lot of combat uniforms socked in blood, plus water bottle soaked in blood and there were drag marks were they dragged the bodies away. 17. Med shot, tilt from artillery shells casing and the artillery piece 18. Med shot, AMISOM KDF soldier looking though the gun eye piece

STORY: At least seven Al Shabaab militants were killed and their vehicle destroyed early this morning following their attempt to attack the AMISOM camp at Kismayo International Airport in southern Somalia. AMISOM troops thwarted the first probing attack by Al Qaeda linked fighters which began at 8.15 pm, forcing the attackers to retreat. At 3.30am, the militias returned to attack the defensive position, but were engaged before they disembarked from their vehicle. AMISOM troops continued to engage and repel the fighters as they repeatedly attempted to recover their vehicle. Today in the morning we patrolled out after last nights al Shabaab probing attack, so we left at 0700 in the morning. We moved out tactically to the exact locations where the vehicle behind us was hit and we managed to arrive at the scene without any incidents. Sais Major Emmanuel Okello, the Officer Commanding of the D Coy AMISOM KDF Contingent in Kismayo. We managed to find the Vehicle that the al Shabaab had used to come and attack us; there were actually on the route out when we hit them last night and thats where we found the vehicle in the middle of the road hit by mortar and artillery shrapnel. One technical vehicle, stolen medical equipment, several military uniforms, bloodstained scarves, bed sheets and a blanket were recovered from the scene. The technical has been identified by the mounted communication aerial on its front bumper as a modified stolen NGO vehicle. These are some of the stuff we recovered from the scene of the attack, if you could look at this, these are some of the shoes that the enemy had worn and they are full of blood, which is a good indicator that we found quite a number of them. They had such water bottles; this is one of them, we found about seven and they had bloodstains around them. Such a vehicle can carry between 20-30 personnel, at the scene we found a lot of combat uniforms socked in blood, plus water bottle soaked in blood and there were drag marks were they dragged the bodies away. Kismayo International Airport was liberated from the Islamist extremist group al Shabaab on 2nd October 2012 by AMISOM troops in support of Somali national forces. AMISOM forces together with Somali National forces continue to conduct stability operations in their area of operation to facilitate much-needed humanitarian aid. END.