4 KILLED, 3 INJURED IN SUSPECTED TERROR ATTACK IN WAJIR

BY ADOW JUBAT- Editor Frontier Leaks

An attack linked to the Somali based al-Shabaab militia has claimed 4 lives and left 3 other with various serious bodily injuries in North-Eastern border town of Wajir on Tuesday night.

The attack that rocked Bulla Burwaqo, a village located 4 kilometers to west of Wajir police station, bolts the prevailing lull from such attacks enjoyed by the residents of the town.

The last such attack occurred on September last year and left three fatalities on its trail.

Confirming the incident to the Frontier Leaks on phone from Wajir the area County police Commander Samuel Mukindia said the deceased were burnt beyond recognition, after the premises they were in caught fire from explosives hurled at by the attackers during the attack.

He "The assailants lobbed explosives at the building, which was serving as enjoined goods and Mpesa shop killing four people and wounding 3 others who were inside the shop at the time of the raid.

The victims were killed in the ensuing burning of the shop",
All those killed were men.

Mukindia said the assailants who were numbering about 4 – 6 according to the eye witnesses were all heavily armed with guns and explosives adding that they shot at shoppers who were at the premises indiscriminate before hurling the impaction incendiaries at the shop as they retreat.

"We don't know the motive and identity of the attackers since nobody has claimed responsibility so far, but the attacks bear the hallmarks of previous attacks in the town and other parts of the region, which al-Shabaab has claimed its responsibility", He noted.

The premise caved into smoldering debris due to the impacts of the explosive used against, he explained.

The County police chief said among those who sustained injuries is a teenage girl who was selling the shop during 8.20 pm incident.

The police boss said the attackers changed tactics by moving to areas less expected of been a target of the criminals, after intensified combined security patrols made difficulty for them to carry any of their heinous attacks within their usually target areas in the town.

He said a combined security team led by the Kenya Defense Force (KDF) from Wajir military are pursuing the fleeing assailants adding that they were confidence they will caught up with them soon.

The attack occurs hours after suspected Al-Shabaab militants had set three IEDs at border point three, a place where police patrolling the common border with Somalia usually take guard.

The scene of the Mandera explosion is about six kilometers from the KDF camp where Interior coordination secretary in charge of security Victor Okioma who arrived Mandera to assess the security situation in the border county held a meeting with area top security chiefs.

Mandera East Deputy County Commissioner Elvis Korir who confirmed the incident said one of the IED planted in the area went off; the other two were detonated by anti terror police a few minutes later after the explosion.

Nobody was injured in the incident and no arrests have been made in connection to the incident.

Area security agents have made several arrests on criminals terrorizing residents, after last year's bus terror attack killed 28 people traveling by a Mekkah bus to Nairobi from Mandera town.

Three key suspects were apprehended after Friday's attack on the convoy of Mandera governor Ali Roba. Three people were killed in this incident.

A suspect has since been arrested and is helping police with investigations.

Mandera county commissioner Alex Nkoyo on Monday, said police are searching for a vehicle which was used to ferry criminals who killed one person on Sunday night where three others were critically injured.