The decision of six civilians to take matters into their own hands and flush out Al-Shabaab insurgents from their midst has ended in death.
A report by NTV on Wednesday, April 15, indicated that the group left Khorfharar, in Wajir Town to fight the insurgents who had allegedly been in the area for more than a year without any police action.
Area MP Rashid Kassim informed that the young men had suffered enough at the hands of the insurgents and thus made the decision to take up arms against them, a matter that he termed as brave.
"They have moved all the way, unskilled, untrained but with one mission, to fight the al-Shabaab," he narrated.
Other area residents alleged that security forces living near the area where the fight took place did not respond to the plight of the young men despite being alerted by gunshots renting the air.
"The police officers nearby heard the bullets but did not even offer support to the youth. This is to say that they have failed in executing their mandate. There is no time that the police have gone there to help despite having military aircraft.
"This is to say that the police and the insurgents are cooperating. I would like to urge independent investigations to come to Wajir to establish who was on the wrong," an angry resident alleged.
Area residents insisted that the death of the men would not make them relent but would give them the strength to continue fighting the insurgents till they were defeated.
The police, however, clarified that four members of the terror organization were killed in the confrontation.
According to the area residents, they would rather take time to fight the al-Shabaab as a more urgent threat as compared to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The al-Shabaab terror threat has been a common feature affecting residents of the county for a long time.
In December 2019, 11 people lost their lives and six more escaped with injuries after suspected Al Shabaab militants attacked a Mandera-bound bus which had 56 passengers on board.
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