A terror attack on Good Friday morning has resulted in the deaths of six individuals and one injury in Dhobley, a border town between Kenya and Somalia.
The six identified as Meru businessmen were shot dead when Al-Shabaab militants opened fire at them. The injured man was identified as a Somali resident of the area.
Authorities have linked the attack to the Al-Shabaab terror group, known for its activities in the region.
Confirming the incident, Liboi Deputy County Commissioner, Ali Manduku, informed Kenyans that the attack occurred in the early hours of the morning and appeared to stem from business rivalry.
Manduku further explained that the group sought to assert its dominance within the border town through such violent means.
The deceased hawkers, victims of the attack, are currently being prepared to be transported to Garissa town for further procedures.
Manduku was unable to clarify how the six individuals managed to reach Dhobley, despite the border between Kenya and Somalia being officially closed since 2011.
Despite this closure, residents from both nations persist in crossing the border, and engaging in business activities and interactions.
Garissa, an area prone to attacks by militants crossing over from Somalia, has witnessed its share of violence in recent times.
Late last year, four officers lost their lives when their vehicle detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) on the Dadaab-Fafi road during a routine security patrol.
The surge in terror attacks, particularly in the Northeastern region of Kenya, follows the country's military intervention in Somalia in 2011. The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) incursion aimed to counter terrorist threats but has, in turn, fueled retaliatory attacks.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki, speaking in the Senate last year, highlighted the grim toll of terrorism in the country.
He disclosed that at least 500 lives have been lost to terror attacks since the infamous bombing of the American Embassy in Nairobi by Al-Qaeda terrorists in 1998.
The 1998 bombing, occurring on August 7, claimed 213 lives, including 201 Kenyans and 12 Americans. Subsequent attacks, such as the Westgate mall attack on September 21, 2013, where 67 lives were lost, and the Garissa University attack on April 2, 2015, resulting in the deaths of 148 people, mostly students.
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