Police repulse al-Shabaab attempt to attack camp in Mandera

 

Security agents repulsed an attempt by al-Shabaab militants to attack a police camp in Lafey, Mandera County in the latest such incident.

The gang fired two Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) and fired several times into the Border Patrol Unit (BPU) camp in Sheikh Barrow area before they were repulsed.

The security officials in the camp fired back prompting the attackers to escape in the Sunday night incident, police said.

Police authorities said no injury was reported in the attack. It is not clear how many of the attackers were at the site.

Security agents have been on alert following reports of a planned attack by the militants in the area.

This comes two weeks after a similar attempt was made on a camp in Elram area, Elwak, Mandera County on March 10.

Officials said the gang had Tuesday night shot several times towards the local Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) camp prompting response from local teams.

Security agents said they were conducting an assessment in the area to establish if there was any casualty in regard to the Sunday night incident.

But an official said such attempts had become common targeting and provoking security agents.

North Eastern regional police boss Rono Bunei said no injury was reported on the side of local security agents.

He urged for continued support from locals to tame the marauding gangs from causing more havoc in the area.

This is the latest such incident to happen in the area in a series of others that target security agencies by ambush or setting bombs on the roads.

Because of the proximity of the region to Somalia border, the militants have been crossing and setting bombs on the road to target security agents. They also roam in the area lecturing locals against embracing non-locals.

Special Forces are among personnel who have been sent to the vast area to hunt down the Al-Shabaab militants behind the trend.

Northern Kenya has borne the brunt of the vice due its strategic location with Somalia, a situation complicated by a porous border.

The militants have been targeting communication masts and government installations in Northern Kenya.

Also on the receiving end are civil servants and non-locals working in the expansive region.

This has crippled the education sector and more so after the Teachers Service Commission recalled most of non-locals teachers working in the troubled region.

Somalia has not had a stable government after the fall of Siad Barre in 1991. The area is near the Somalia border and the militants usually cross at will and stage attacks before escaping back.

Al-Shabaab terrorists have been attacking places in the region especially in Mandera, Wajir and Garissa counties after breaching security zones, which left dozens of civilians and security officials dead and wounded.

Kenyan troops are in Somalia under Amisom to pursue and suppress the activities of the terror group. BY DAILY NATION