British Marines conduct mechanized raid into Somalia from the sea!

Via the Telegraph.

Marines in daring amphibious raid in Somalia

Royal Marines have staged a daring raid in Somalia to seize a tribal leader, it was reported last night.

The commandos carried out a dramatic amphibious landing using Viking armoured vehicles launched from landing craft, according to the Daily Mail.

Heavily-armed personnel from 539 Assault Squadron pushed deep inland through the lawless zone to seize the influential clan chief.

He was taken off for talks with MI6 and Foreign Offfice officials aboard a Royal Navy support ship ancored off the coast, centring on issues such as terrror training camps and the seizing of hostages.

The raid in July was the first time British forces have conducted a military operation in the troubled area in 40 years, according to the Mail.

Special Forces have been focusing on the region amid a rise in ships seized offshore by pirates for ransom, the kidnap of citizens from Western countries, and the threat of the Al Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab terror group. 

It is also feared that UK-born terrorists are now increasingly travelling to the zone for training rather than Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The raid came two months before the kidnap of Briton Judith Tebbutt and murder of her husband David at a Kenyan resort near the Somalian border.

Absolutely ballsy.

Absolutely brilliant.

I didn't think British political leadership had the nerve to allow such a raid.  I'm glad I was wrong.