Communication mast destroyed in a suspected terror attack in Mandera

MANDERA, Kenya, Nov 6- Suspected Al-Shabaab operatives destroyed a communication mast at Karo in Mandera on Thursday morning, in latest attack in the area paralyzing communication.

The country has in the past witnessed several incidents targeting communication masts by Al-Shabaab militants.

County Commissioner Onesmus Kyatha told Shahidi News that security agencies are pursuing the gang behind the incident.

“They escaped soon after the incident but our security personnel are pursuing them,” he said.

Locals said the attackers used explosive devices to destroy the mast which is usually guarded by the national police reservists.

The officers who were in the vicinity were forced to take cover as two explosives devices were detonated, bringing down the mast.

Intelligence reports suspect that the latest attack might be a distraction to an even bigger attack as is the modus operandi of the militant group.

“They usually bring down masts to hinder communication ahead of a bigger planned attack,” said a local security official who asked not to be named.

The area is near the porous Somalia border where militants usually cross at will staging attacks on Kenyan soil.

The Al-Shabaab have in the past targeted counties along the vast border with Somalia including: Mandera, Wajir and Garissa.

With Kenyan security agencies in recent years over-powering the terrorists, they have resulted to identifying soft targets often at times using improvised explosive devices,IED to conduct their attacks.

A contingent of security officers have been deployed to the area as operations by the Border Patrol Unit remain heightened to tame the surge.

Kenyan troops are in Somalia under AMISOM fighting the terror group which has lost significant grip of the horn of Africa Nation.