At least six villagers were shot and killed in an attack in a village in Illeret in Marsabit at the Kenya-Ethiopia border.
The attack also left eight other people with serious injuries, police said.
Police said the attackers crossed from Hamar villages in Ethiopia and attacked those of Dasnach at the border in El-Anybura village. Other officials said four of the attackers were killed in the incident.
Police said the attack happened on Tuesday January 13 and that the gang escaped with 500 cows and more than 200 goats. Dozens other livestock were shot and killed in the incident.
The attackers escaped back to their village. Officials said four of the attackers were killed in the dramatic clash. Security teams rushed to the scene on Wednesday to contain a possible retaliation.
A team from Ethiopia arrived and met those from Kenya for talks and calmed the tension. There were efforts to trace and return the stolen livestock.
This came as villagers embarked on a mission to burry the deceased. The injured were taken to the Bubua health centre in Ethiopia.
The communities stretch to both Kenya and Ethiopia and are lying in a remote area.
Such attacks are common in the area amid efforts to contain the situation. The area is among those under Operation Maliza Uhalifu aimed at dealing with bandits.
The operation has managed to contain crime in the area and other counties amid persistence.
The operation targets Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Meru and Isiolo counties.
Besides retributive reaction, strategic investment and sustainable development have also taken a prominent place among the government’s planned crime control interventions for Kenya’s Northern frontier and the Kerio Valley belt.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the long-term vision is to empower the communities to actively take part in the war against animal rustling and undertake legitimate nation-building activities.
He said plans to distribute subsidized agricultural inputs and extension services to area residents in a bid to revive farming activities as a source of livelihood.
Murkomen ordered fresh vetting for all National Police Reservists (NPRs) as part of efforts to bolster the operations.
“We are coming to dismantle not only the criminals themselves but also to bring down the entire chain that has been the cattle and livestock rustling industry,” he said.
He also announced a new policy shift, which institutionalizes the command structure of the NPR officers, stating they will hence be under the direct command of the Officer Commanding Police Stations (OCS) as part of efforts to enhance their operations.
The attacks have affected development at large. Most of the stolen animals are driven to urban centres and in particular where they are slaughtered and sold as products.
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