Shooting puts Kenyan troops on alert

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Kenyan troops are on high alert after two helicopters on patrol along the border with Somalia came under gunfire earlier in the week.

The Daily Nation reported Friday that the shooting incident occurred Wednesday evening in the Hulugho area of Ijara district.

The report said helicopter crews saw what appeared to be armored vehicles moving towards the area and were fired upon when they flew lower to investigate.

One helicopter was damaged and made an emergency landing, the newspaper quoted unidentified sources. There were no reports of casualties.

Villagers reportedly said they believed Somali Islamic Court Union militia were responsible for the gunfire.

The militia was recently routed from the Somali capital of Mogadishu and the southern port city of Kismaiyo by Ethiopian soldiers fighting on the side of the Somalia Transitional Government, which had earlier been eclipsed by the Islamists.

Ethiopian aircraft on Tuesday had violated Kenyan airspace on Tuesday and dropped explosives on fleeing Islamist militiamen.

Kenya has closed its long border with Somalia and has been turning away Somalis fleeing the fighting in their homeland.

Source:UPI