Gunmen believed to be al Shabaab militants torched two lorries in an attack in Shebtakurrow area, Tarbaj, Wajir County.
Police said the two canters were headed for Wajir from Mandera when the incident happened on Monday morning.
One of the vehicles was carrying construction stones while the other had delivered several kilos of khat when they were targeted and attacked.
The attackers stopped another lorry that had delivered the khat and ordered the driver with his turnboy to step out.
The crew had offered a lift to four National Police Reservists who were headed for Wargaduud area in the same area.
It is not clear how the terrorists knew about the presence of the reservists. The driver told police the gang asked him where the four were.
According to police, by then, the reservists had jumped out and dashed into a nearby thicket where they hid.
The gang then searched the lorry and failed to find the reservists.
It was then they ordered the driver to turn back to where he had come. The driver said the unknown number of gunmen then torched the two lorries they had stopped. The whereabouts of the crew is not known.
The incident come in the wake of a terror alert to be issued by both the American and UK governments to the effect that the are plans by the terror groups to stage attacks.
“Terrorist groups could attack with little or no warning, targeting hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls and markets, schools, police stations, places of worship, and other places frequented by foreigners and tourists,” said the US embassy.
“While attacks can occur at any time, concerns are heightened in proximity to anniversaries of prior terrorist attacks, such as September 11th, the September 21st Westgate Mall attack, and the October 7th Hamas attack against Israel.”
The US detailed that acts of terror occur with no warning hence the need to be vigilant at all times.
Places frequented by foreigners were also highlighted to be targets of terrorists. It was also explained that the security alert was informed by the terror attack anniversaries that are being observed across the globe.
Terrorist groups could attack with little or no warning, targeting hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls and markets.
Police said they have increased operations to tame the planned attacks.
The border region has borne the brunt of repeated attacks from the militants who are at times aided by locals. 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 and Garissa counties after breaching security zones, which left dozens of civilians and security officials dead and wounded.
The terrorists have been planting explosives on the routes used by the security agencies.
Kenyan troops are in Somalia to pursue and suppress the activities of the terror group. But the terrorists keep crossing to Kenya for attacks.
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