At least one
person was shot dead and three others seriously wounded when suspected
al-Shabaab gunmen ambushed a vehicle in the Toka area of Garissa County on
Thursday evening.
Police said
the attack occurred at about 6 pm along the Hagadera–Biyamathobe road near Toka
Junction.
The victims,
a group comprising National Police Reservists (NPR) and members of the
Macawisley militia, were on patrol when they came under fire.
Macawisley
refers to clan-based militias that operate in parts of northeastern Kenya and
Somalia to bolster security.
They work in
collaboration with security agencies in the fight against al-Shabaab.
According to
police, one Macawisley member, identified as Mahammud Zeylici, was killed in
the ambush, while their driver and two others sustained gunshot wounds.
The injured
were rushed to the local IRC hospital for treatment.
A fierce
exchange ensued as the NPR responded, forcing the attackers to retreat.
By the time
additional police teams arrived at the scene, the militants had fled. Witnesses
reported that the attackers were heavily armed with rifles.
Security
officials said a major operation has since been launched in the area following
intelligence that militants had been sighted and were planning more attacks.
The Toka
area and surrounding parts of Garissa have been vulnerable to cross-border
raids, with militants exploiting the porous Somalia–Kenya border.
Al-Shabaab often targets security personnel,
government workers, and civilians, leaving communities in fear.
Kenya has
over the years intensified its counter-terror operations, deploying more
personnel and using technology to monitor the border.
Authorities
have also blamed local sympathisers for aiding the militants’ movements and
attacks.
The incident
comes against the backdrop of Kenya’s long battle with al-Shabaab, which began
in earnest with the launch of Operation Linda Nchi on October 14, 2011.
The
incursion into southern Somalia was prompted by a series of kidnappings,
including that of two Spanish aid workers from the Dadaab refugee camp.
Kenyan
troops, later integrated into the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM),
captured the port city of Kismayo in 2012 under Operation Sledge Hammer,
dealing a blow to the militants’ finances and operations.
Despite
these gains, vast regions near the border remain vulnerable, and Somalia’s lack
of a strong central government since the 1991 overthrow of President Siad Barre
continues to fuel instability.
