2 people shot dead and dozen houses torched by al-Shabaab in Lamu
At least two people were shot and killed by gunmen believed to be al-Shabaab militants in the Pandaguo area, Lamu County, police said.
Police who responded to the Christmas Day incident said several houses in the area were also torched by the attackers.
Such incidents usually happen in the area as the terrorists breach security operations there to strike.
The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border which has been under attack by terrorists in the past.
It is also near Boni Forest which is an operation zone as the national government has since 2015 conducted a multi-agency security exercise dubbed Linda Boni, which is aimed at flushing out al-Shabaab militants believed to be hiding there.
Police said the attackers invaded Taa village and targeted homes in a coordinated manner.
Many villagers ran and hid in bushes as the gang descended on their homes, survivors said.
Coast regional commissioner John Elungata said assailants attacked the village at around 8 pm but were repulsed by Kenya Police Reservists after a heavy gunfight.
“They escaped into the Boni forest and a multi-agency security team has been deployed in the area,” he said.
Elungata urged locals to cooperate with security officers on the ground.
“The situation is calm, we have officers patrolling the area and we would like to ask members of the public to tell us what they know to help us in our investigations as we continue hunting them” said Elungata.
The attack comes barely a week after the suspected al-Shabaab militants attacked a police vehicle between Hayley Lapsset camp and Garissa.
The police vehicle was heading to Garissa when it stepped on an improvised explosive device.
They then attacked again using a rocket-propelled grenade followed by heavy gunfire that led to the death of one civilian and two police officers.
The vehicle attached to Galmagalla Police Station, Bura East operating along the LAPSSET corridor was also set ablaze by the assailants.
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, which is 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 incidents of 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.
Source: the-star
