Shabaab kills self in an aborted planned carnage in Elwak

 

By Adow Jubat

One al-Shabaab militant was killed, while several of his accomplices were injured in a plan terror attack that went weary in the incursion prone border County of Mandera, Northeastern region bordering war-strife Somalia.

The militants were planting explosives devices along a road that leads to a dam in Dabacity area, Elwak south sub-county on Saturday noon.

The Somali based militants, who are affiliated to Al-Qaeda international terror group, has on Tuesday last week attack a Mandera bound bus in the same area, where they killed two people and injured five others, after their attempts to split passengers along religious line were challenged by Muslim travelers.

Muslim passengers saved their Christian colleagues after refusing to be split along religious spectrum and also providing their clothing to them (Christians) in bid to conceal, them from being identified through their dressing codes.

Confirming the incident which occurred at noon on Saturday, the Mandera County commissioner Fredrick Shisia the assailants were planting Improvised explosive device (IED) along a road leading to Garesesala water point where security patrol along Kenya/Somali border frequently uses.

He said nomad families, who were trekking along the nearby bushes toward Elwak town so, the Shabaab insurgent in jangle uniform and wearing balaclava burying something in some portion of the road.

“A security patrol team who were doing their routine movement, were tipped off by the nomads over the presences of suspicious looking gunmen digging some parts of the road to the only dam and burying some objects” He said.

He added “Upon the patrol team led by OCPD and the officer commanding (OC) Elwak military base speeding off the incident area, the militants who were caught unawares in panic attempted to detonate the incendiaries on the oncoming security vehicles killing one of Shabaab dead instantly and injuring others”,

The Northeastern regional coordinator Amb Mohamud Saleh who also confirmed the incidents said the mutilated body of the Shabaab was taken to Elwak sub-county hospital mortuary for identification and investigations. He added that an AK47 assault rifle, which was carried the deceased which was badly dismantled under the impact of the explosion was also recovered.

Amb Saleh noted that the assailants who were caught planting the explosives on the road were about 5, but there could be possibilities that others could be watching over them in hiding.

“A part from the one who was killed, we also highly believe four of his accomplice, were also injured in the explosion since officers on pursuit of the criminals reported of seeing trail of blood”, He said.

The regional coordinator thanked the member of the public in the region for showing a lot of commitments to work with security agents by volunteering valuable information that saved lives.

“These is the second incident a swift action by the members of the local community to save lives by confronting Shabaab, I urgent them all Kenyans to be patriotic like Mandera people and ensure to working closely with security team”, He noted.