Gunmen believed to be rogue members of Somalia’s the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) shot and killed a Kenyan police officer in an attack at a border point in Mandera.
The incident sparked tension in the area amid calls for justice.
The attackers grabbed the deceased officer’s G3 rifle which had 60 bullets and an AK47 rifle with 30 bullets belonging to another cop and fled the scene.
The incident happened on Friday March 14 at the main border point and targeted officers from the Border Patrol Unit.
NISA is the national intelligence agency of the Federal Republic of Somalia.
Police said five officers from BPU manning Kenya-Somalia boarder at boarder point 4 were attacked by about 20 NISA officers.
The group opened fire at the Kenyan team killing constable Dennis Omari instantly.
They also shot and injured a second officer. He was injured in the left upper hand and currently being treated at Mandera Referral Hospital and in stable condition, police said.
This forced the other officers to take cover.
Police said preliminary findings have shown the motive of the attack was the revenge of previous arrest of terror suspects where a group tried to abduct Chinese nationals in the town last month.
Police said the attack was co-ordinated by a brother of one of the suspects who is a NISA officer.
Tension mounted in the area amid fears of more attacks by the rogue gang.
Following the failed abduction last month, anti-terrorism detectives drawn from the Mandera detachment arrested the Assistant chief of Bula power sub location in Mandera Township in connection with his involvement in an attempted and illegal processing of Kenyan IDs in favour of two foreign nationals cum terror suspects.
The suspect identified as Isack Mohammed Abdi and Noor Yakub Ali were arrested in a failed abduction plan targeting Chinese nationals in the town on February 18.
The administrator Yussuf Maalim Issak is suspected to have facilitated the procurement of an acknowledgement for registration slip /Id waiting card for the terror suspects who were arrested while planning the abduction of a team of foreign nationals engaged in the construction of a sewer line in Mandera town.
On February 18, police in Mandera East arrested two suspected al Shabaab operatives, who had planned the abduction of a team of the foreign nationals working at a sewer line construction site within Mandera township.
Acting on intelligence, the sleuths swiftly arrested the prime suspect, Isaac Abdi Mohamed alias Kharan Abdi Hassan, 29, who had recently sneaked his way into the country from El-ade in Somalia and forged a number of documents to identify as a Kenyan.
It was discovered that the suspect was to pay Sh100,000 to his local associate, who would assist in the abduction exercise before he and another, Noor Yacob Ali, 29 facilitated the to-be victims’ movement to El-ade at a Sh300,000 fee.
Another operation was conducted, where Yacob Ali was cornered and arrested at Metameta area within Mandera township by a multi-agency security team.
The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border which is porous.
The terrorists have been attacking the area affecting development at large.
This has left a trail of destruction and low development in the area.
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