Kenya’s army has launched a huge military operation targeting a militia which has killed some 500 people in a land dispute over the past 18 months.
The army is using heavy artillery, hundreds of troops and helicopter gunships, in the Mount Elgon forests near the border with Uganda. They are targeting the Sabaot Land Defence Forces (SLDF) which was blamed for the killing of 12 people last week.
The militia has also been accused of links to recent political violence. The operation began under cover of darkness as hundreds of Kenyan troops were driven in trucks to prepare for an offensive against the militia.
Government spokesman Alfred Mutua said police were chasing ” criminals operating from mountain hideouts”. ” We’re using military helicopters to get the pole out there.