Friday January 14, 2022
By Cyrus Ombati
Unknown number of attackers managed to escape.
KDF soldiers on patrol. Image: CHETI PRAXIDES
Security agents have killed three al-Shabāab terrorists in Takaba, Mandera County.
During the raid, police also destroyed the terrorists’ camp and its logistical capabilities and paraphernalia.
North Eastern Police boss Rono Bunei said operations are ongoing in the region.
The team of special forces operating in the area said they had followed leads to where the gang was hiding.
They said they destroyed two camps, killing the three suspects in the process.
An unknown number of attackers managed to escape.
Last week, the gang attacked and destroyed a communication mast at Omar Jillo in Mandera County.
The attack prompted an operation in the area, with several multi-agency teams being deployed.
There are fears that terrorists are planning an attack on security agencies and civilians, prompting operations in Mandera, Wajir, Lamu and parts of Kilifi counties.
The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border, which has been under attack by terrorists in the past.
Boni Forest is an operation zone as the national government has since 2015 conducted a multi-agency security exercise dubbed Linda Boni, aimed at flushing out al Shabaab militants believed to be hiding there.
Kenya began the construction of the 700-kilometre long wall in 2015 to stop the militants from crossing into and out of Kenya.
The wall, known as the Kenya-Somalia border securitisation project, is, among others, meant to secure the country from attacks by the Somalia-based al Shabaab terrorists.
The project plan includes having designated immigration and custom entry points with a two-foot-tall concrete wall fitted with CCTV cameras.
Trenches are also being constructed in the area.
The plan includes the creation of at least 22 border posts on the border with well-equipped personnel to respond to any form of aggression.
Officials say once complete, the teams will be spread 40 kilometres apart to enable quick response to attacks from militants.
The fence, especially in Mandera and Lamu, has helped reduce attacks by the militants who often crossed at will.
Research by government security agencies says 30 per cent of the country’s security problems are traced to the porous Somalia border often penetrated by terrorists.
Edited by Mercy Asamba