MANDERA, Kenya, Jun 23- The Al-Shabaab militants have been linked to several attacks in the border County of Mandera for the last 3 days, raising safety concerns for locals in the North Eastern county.
During the past 72 hours, the militants have staged abductions, killed and injured both police officers and civilians, destroying property worth of millions of shillings.
On Wednesday morning, the Al-Qaeda linked militia group killed one police reservist and injured two others. They then proceeded to burn down two tractors at a dam site.
The reservists were overpowered by the militants, who were more armed.
Police told Shahidi News that they were guarding Banyole dam which is under construction when they came under attack.
“The police reservists tried to repel them but it was too late. They got overpowered,” a security officer based in the area told Shahidi News.
According to multiple witnesses, the gang torched two tractors including an excavator that were at the site as other workers escaped for their lives.
The attack came hours after 4 police officers including a Deputy Officer Commanding Station sustained gunshot injuries during an ambush attack.
The four are receiving treatment at a local hospital within Mandera.
There are concerns that the militants are back to the County after a relatively few months of calm, with some locals saying they have seen suspected militants roaming freely in the villages.
In 2 weeks alone, 15 people have lost their lives to Al-Shabaab attacks in the area. Infrastructural projects have not been spared, with some stalling due to insecurity.
On Monday, the militants killed 3 people and abducted three others in Falama and Jabibar areas.
Still on Monday, the group staged two attacks targeting civilians traveling on trucks.
At Falama the terrorists hijacked a construction truck, kidnapped the driver and his crew before torching it while at Jabibar, the terrorists hijacked another lorry with five occupants before killing three and sparing the female passenger.
One Al-Shabaab militant was killed after the lorry that was carrying miraa ran over them. This was after the gang tried to stop it.
The vehicle later overturned a few meters ahead, enabling the militants to catch up with them according to police.
The particular group kidnapped the lorry driver. Those abducted are yet to be found but authorities say a team of security agents has since embarked on a search and rescue operation.
The Tuesday morning attack that left 4 police with injuries occurred in Bambahowla area of the County. The officers were in a group of 8 and were aboard a police vehicle when they were attacked.
The police vehicle from Wargadud police station was heading for Elwak for a security operation.
Local leaders have mounted a peace campaign in the area, in a bid to defeat the scourge of terrorism in the area.
Two weeks ago, officials at the Mandera County Government stopped movement of their vehicles over increasing terror related incidents in the area.
There are fears of more attacks after locals reported sighting more gunmen roaming in separate places while planning to strike.
Mandera County Secretary Abdinur Hussein released a memo on June 10 and explained strict regulations to be followed in the movements of their vehicles.
He told the county executive committee members to ensure no vehicle is on the road past 5 pm on any week day.
Hussein said no vehicle will be authorized to travel to the sub-counties unless on emergency missions such as ambulances, health utility vehicles or Covid-19 pandemic responses, firefighting trucks, skip loaders and sanitation trucks, until further notice.
Northern Kenya has bore the brunt of terror attacks due to a porous border with Somalia, the operating ground of the militants.
The militia have been targeting government buildings, civil servants and perceived dissidents among civilians.
They have also been planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) on roads to target security officers on patrol.
Tens of lives have been lost, among them police and military officers to the IED attacks.
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