2 policemen injured in Mandera Al Shabaab ambush

Capital FM
Thursday, July 12, 2012

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Two police officers were shot and seriously wounded on Thursday morning in an attack blamed on Al Shabaab militiamen in Mandera.

The officers were in a group of three headed back to Garissa when the militants attacked them in Arabia area, a few kilometers from the border with Somalia.

Those in the vehicle included the area deputy police Chief John Mbaluka, his driver and another officer.

“The officers were attacked while on patrol; they have been taken to hospital,” a senior officer in the region said.

Mbaluka who escaped unhurt in the attack said “the gunmen were in groups and they sprayed bullets at us and we also engaged them. We are so lucky to have survived.”

“The driver and the other officer are the ones who were wounded in the attack,” he said.

One of the officers was shot in the ribs while his colleague sustained an injury on both hands.

Cases of attacks targeted on security forces have been on the increase at the border towns since Kenya sent its troops to Somalia to fight Al Shabaab militants.

The militants have also targeted social places and churches, often opening fire and hurling grenades at civilians.

A week ago, 17 people were killed when attackers believed to be members of the Al Shabaab operatives stormed in two churches and sprayed worshippers with bullets before throwing in grenades.

Two police officers who were guarding one of the churches were among those killed.

On Monday, a victim of the tragedy who had been admitted to the Kenyatta National Hospital succumbed to his injuries, raising the death toll to 18.

No suspect has been arrested over the attacks.

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