Two people were killed and a woman seriously injured following a cross-border attack by suspected armed militia in Mandera County, police have said.
According to police, the attack occurred at about 3:00 a.m. on June 8 when approximately 10 heavily armed assailants believed to have crossed from Somalia raided Elgolicha village near the Kenya-Somalia border.
The attackers reportedly shot dead 82-year-old Abdo Ali Gole and injured his wife, during the assault. The assailants also killed Ibrahim Issack, a middle-aged man, near the border area before fleeing.
The motive of the incident was not immediately known.
The incident heightened tensions in the region as security agencies moved in to assess the situation and begin investigations.
Post-mortem examinations established that both men died from excessive bleeding caused by gunshot wounds.
Following the examinations, the bodies were released to their families for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
Police said the woman sustained multiple injuries, including a fractured right radius, a gunshot wound to the right thigh, and injuries to her left arm. She was initially admitted to Elwak Referral Hospital before being transferred to Wajir County Referral Hospital for specialized treatment.
Security agencies are continuing investigations into the attack as efforts to prevent further escalation of tensions along the border continue.
The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border where terrorists including al Shabaab cross and attack using guns and explosives. The government has responded deploying more security agents in the area for operations.
The incident comes as security agencies continue to enhance operations along the Kenya-Somalia border to avert continued attempts by the al-Shabaab militia to infiltrate the country.
Somalia has not had an effective central government since the 1991 overthrow of President Siad Barre’s military regime, which ushered in more than two decades of anarchy and conflict in a country deeply divided along clan lines.
Kenya launched Operation Linda Nchi on October 14, 2011, after gunmen seized tourists at the Coast, which the Government saw as a threat to the country’s sovereignty, as it targeted the nation’s economic lifeline which is tourism.
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