‘al Shabaab’ blamed for murder of 28 Mandera bus passengers

MANDERA (Xinhua) -- Suspected ‘al Shabaab’ militants attacked a public passenger bus in Mandera, northern Kenya, early Saturday, killing 28 people and injured several others, government official and police confirmed.

Mandera East Deputy County Commissioner, Elvis Korir, said initial reports indicate that a team of more than 100 armed gunmen stopped the Nairobi-bound bus and ordered everyone out at around 5:30 a.m. local time.

    "We are told the 100 armed men stopped the bus just after it left Arabia area and all the passengers were asked to come down and divided into two groups of Somalis and non Somali," Korir told Xinhua, adding that the non Somali group was sprayed with bullets.

    "We are also told more than 28 have been killed and many others injured, but we are yet to know the exact circumstances, but we are planning to dispatch a team of security personnel to the scene," the government official said.

Mandera County Police Commander Noah Mvivanda said initial reports indicate the attackers were ‘al Shabaab’ from neighboring Somalia.

He said the attack occurred at a place near the Kenya-Somalia border.

    Mvivanda said the armed militia asked everyone on board to recite the Islamic doctrine and those who failed were shot dead.

    "We have talked to two young ladies who managed to escape the tragedy and they said four police officers were among the dead, but we are yet to confirm," said Mvivanda.

The police commander said an aerial surveillance will be conducted over the area before security teams leave for rescue, given the fact that a similar attack late last year at the area was used as a trap in which eight police officers were killed.

Since Kenya sent troops across the border into Somalia in 2011, northern and parts of eastern Kenya have been hit by a series of blasts, with many targeting local security forces and humanitarian workers.
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    One dies, another injured in grenade, gun attacks in Northern Kenya

WAJIR (Xinhua) -- One person has died while another was seriously injured in gun and grenade attacks in Wajir town in northern Kenya, government official confirmed on Friday.

Wajir County Commissioner David Rotich said lab technician Evas Mutunga, who was seriously injured in the stomach, died on his way to Nairobi where he was being airlifted for specialized treatment following attacks in the remote town on Wednesday night.
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    "He had serious gun shot wounds in his stomach and was bleeding so much which made it difficult for the doctors to save his life. He had sustained four gun shots on the chest and shoulder," Rotich told Xinhua on Friday.

He said the second victim identified as Kangethe Ronald who was also injured in the incident was responding well to treatment.

During the Wednesday incident, unknown assailants who were said to be two in number opened fire indiscriminately at a local market in Wajir town and in the process injuring one person.

They then proceeded to the old mosque which is situated a few meters from the market where they again opened fire arbitrarily and injured another person.
         

WAJIR (Xinhua) -- Reserve fuel tank that was targeted by gunmen in Wajir, northeastern Kenya. At least one person was killed and another seriously injured in separate gun and grenade attacks during the incident. XINHUA PHOTO - INGATI STEPHEN



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Moments later they hurled a hand grenade at the Wajir Kenya Power fueling tank.  The grenade did not, however, hit their intended target as exploded a few meters from the machine.

    Rotich said that the government would not rest until it gets the criminals.

    "It appears the assailants were targeting to blow up the fuel tank at the Kenya Power plant in order to plunge the town into darkness," Rotich said.

    "Fortunately the explosion did not cause much damage," and no one was injured in this attack.

    "No arrest has been made in connection with any of the incidents, he said.

The government administrator warned that they will not allow criminals to disrupt peace and tranquility which was returning to the remote town after attacks witnessed last year.

    "They can run but they cannot hide," said Rotich.

    This is the second time in less than three months that Kenya Power plant is being attacked.

Wajir town had enjoyed relative calm until the Wednesday night incident with no major incident reported.

Northern Kenya has bore the brunt of grenade and gun attacks in the last three years since Kenya sent its troops to Somalia to fight the ‘al Shabaab’ militia group.