BY ADOW JUBAT
One person was killed and three others were seriously
injured on Wednesday night in another terrorist attack in North-Eastern region
bordering the war-torn Somalia.
The latest attack that occurs less than twenty four hours
after Tuesday night gun ambush against Kenya security officers that vitally
injured four officers returning from escort from Dadaab to their work station
in Libio targeted a makeshift food Kiosk in centre of border town of Wajir.
On Saturday, one person was injured in another hotel in the
town after hand grenades were hurled by assailants believed to have been
members of the Somali Islamist group, Al-Shabaab exploded inside the hotel
frequented by government employees.
Confirming the incident, the Wajir Officer Commanding Police
Division (OCPD) Mr. James Mutungi said people suspected to be the sympathizers
of Al-Qaeda linked Somali militiamen planted an Improvised Explosive Device at
the hotel frequented mainly for its fast foods popular known as chips.
The hotel just like many others targeted in previous
explosion is owned by people from other parts of the country seeking business
opportunities in the North-Eastern, where has been relatively peaceful before
the country sent its Military to neigbouring war-weary Somali to proactively
forestall incursion by the Islamist group in the country.
Prior to the Kenya Defence Force incursion into Somali,
Al-Shabaab carried numerous abductions of foreign including tourist and aid
workers threatening the country’s tourist sector which the backbone of the
foreign exchange earn.
He said the IED material exploded at around 7.45PM vitally
injuring four, among them a hotel attendant, the proprietor and two customers who
were at the time inside the premise.
He said “One of the casualties died on his way to the Wajir district
general hospital, where the victims of the explosion were rushed for treatment,
while the other three who also sustained heavy injuries on their lower limps and broken hands
were been treated at the hospital”.
According to an eye witness Musemi Albert,32,a casual worker
who was among the revelers at the hotel
at the time of the explosion, but who escaped death by a whisker since he was
having his food outside the restaurant said three people entered the hotel and
ordered for chips (potato crisp) and shortly afterward left in huff.
“When they entered the hotel, one among the trio pretended
to take a seat at the place where the explosion rocked and left hurriedly to
follow his colleagues who take their packed food. We never suspected what he
may be doing at the corner where he was seated very briefly. We just thought he
was waiting his colleagues until when the explosion occurred” he said praising
God for saving him.
This marks the sixth attack in the region for the last one
week.
The OCPD said the impact of the explosion destroyed the
floor of the makeshift hotel and destroyed chairs noting that a four years boy
who was holding onto the injured hotel attendant was thrown meters away by the
impact of the blast, but was unscathed security.
He said officers were pursuing the assailants who escaped
into the darkness of the night as security has been beefed-up in all places in
the town where big number of people converges.
ENDS.
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