Five quarry workers have reportedly been shot dead after suspected gunmen descended on them in Bur Abor Village in Mandera East.
The incident, which occurred on the morning of Tuesday, April 29, saw armed assailants ambush non-local workers at a quarry site. The gunmen are believed to be Al-Shabaab militants.
A village administrator, Mohamed Abdiaziz Roble, has since confirmed the incident, adding that security personnel who were patrolling the area at the time of the incident responded but were unable to zero in on the gang in time as the suspects managed through the Kenya-Somalia border.
According to witness accounts, the assailants were strategic with their ambush, as they placed rocks on the road to ambush a vehicle occupied by the quarry workers.
The ambush on quarry workers was also calculated, since quarry sites are located several kilometres from heavy police presence - a dynamic which tends to slow down swift response.
Amid tension in the wider Khalalio-Hareeri area, the public has been urged to stay alert and report any suspicious activity in the area.
Several other workers at the quarry sustained serious injuries from the attack and were rushed to Mandera Referral Hospital for treatment.
“This is a deeply troubling event. We are working closely with security forces to ensure justice and restore a sense of safety.”
The attack came just weeks after a National Police Reservists Camp in the neighbouring Fafi, Garissa County, was attacked by militants.
During the March 23 attack, six people lost their lives, with a further four were left injured. Like the Mandera incident, the militants also attacked at dawn.
Reportedly, the militants stormed the camp armed to the teeth with assorted weapons and quickly took it over on Sunday morning. The region has recently been rife with Al Shabaab attacks that frequent the border counties for such attacks.
Amid the growing threat of insecurity, particularly among border counties, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen faces an uphill task in curbing the ever-present threat.
One of the initiatives the CS has undertaken to curb insecurity in volatile regions includes equipping local administrators with guns.
“I don’t see any problem in having our chiefs armed. If civilians can apply and get licences to be gun holders, why not the chiefs? We shall facilitate a procedure where the chiefs will be assessed, and if it’s proved that their lives are at risk in their areas of operation, we shall provide them with guns and the permit or licences immediately,” Murkomen said in March.
