24 people have been hospitalised in various Mandera hospitals following an early morning attack in Bulla Hawa, Somalia.
Of the 24 Somali nationals, seven are officers of the Somali National Army (SNA) while the rest are civilians.
According to emerging reports, a six-year-old boy is among the injured, having sustained gunshot wounds.
Bulla Hawa is a Somali town that borders Mandera with the two towns being separated only by a strip of shops.
The attack began at 5.45 am when a group of 200 Al Shabaab militants overran various security installations on the Somali side of the border, leaving Somali security officers scampering to safety on the Kenyan side.
A fierce gunfire exchange ensued until 7 am as Kenyan police officers worked to avoid a spillover of the attack into Mandera.
Mandera County Commander Fredrick Shisia stated that the attack had caused major disruptions in the town including closure of schools, businesses and a lack of transport services.
Over 180 members of the Somali National Army are said to have escaped and are currently at the Mandera Police Station.
Security officers in the area are still on high alert as there have been reports that the terrorists are planning to advance into Mandera.
