Suspected al-Shabaab militants killed two police officers and a teacher early Friday morning in an attack on the Wargadud police camp in the Mandera South area, in Kenya’s northeast, Kenyan authorities say.
The militants also carjacked a police vehicle and destroyed two communications towers.
Security officials declined VOA’s request for a comment. However, Mandera South Member of Parliament Abdul Haro confirmed the incident.
“I can confirm last night there was a terror attack in my constituency in a place called Wargadud and there are some casualties. Also, there was another attack a few kilometers away in a place called Iresuki and a probing attack in Elwak,” Haro said.
The incidents took place as Kenya’s defense secretary, Aden Duale, is touring the northeastern region to meet security officials and residents. Addressing residents in the border town of Diif, in Wajir County, Duale said Kenya will fight militants within and outside Kenya to secure its territory.
“We will fight al-Shabab along our borders. We will fight and take the war to them in Somalia because Kenya has a moral responsibility to bring peace and stability along the countries in the horn of Africa,” Duale said.
Last week, Kenyan security forces killed 23 suspected al-Shabab militants during an ambush at the Orgene area, in Kenya’s Mandera County. The encounter also left six Kenyan soldiers dead and eight others injured.
Duale said Kenya will use all possible means to flush terrorists and their sympathizers from the region.
“I’m talking to the leadership of al-Shabab, wherever you are: prepare yourself. We will use our land forces, we will use our air force, we will use our navy, we will use our special forces to hunt you down,” Duale said.
Earlier this year, Kenya announced plans to reopen its border with Somalia that has been closed for over a decade, but has now suspended those plans following increased attacks by the militant group.
The militant group has in the past carried out a spate of attacks in Kenyan cities and towns in an attempt to drive Kenya to withdraw its troops from African Union-led peacekeeping forces in Somalia.
VOA.