NAIROBI, Sept 24 (Reuters) - A Kenyan soldier with the
African Union peacekeeping force (AMISOM) in Somalia is
suspected of killing six Somali civilians in the southern part
of the country, the Kenyan military said on Monday.
The incident could anger the local population in the run-up
to an offensive against al Shabaab rebels in the southern port
of Kismayu in a final push by African nations to stabilise the
country.
The Kenya Defence Force (KDF) said the incident happened on
Sunday in the Jubba region after several people approached a KDF
defensive position.
"A KDF soldier allegedly opened fire killing six people. The
soldier was immediately disarmed and has since been put on
guarded seclusion," it said in a statement.
It said the matter was being investigated by AMISOM force
commanders, KDF and the Somali army, who would later release
their findings.
"The findings will duly be respected and appropriate action
taken," KDF said.
Somalia has made progress in the past year in battling an
Islamist insurgency and elected a new president earlier this
month, but it faces security challenges, mainly bomb attacks
carried out by al Shabaab.
(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Janet Lawrence)