Gunmen kill Safaricom driver in Mandera attack

Suspected al shabaab militia yesterday shot dead a Safaricom employee at korome, between Arabia and Mandera town and made away with the vehicle. Witnesses said the group of about ten men armed with AK 47 ambushed the Safaricom vehicle as it was heading to Mandera from Arabia. The men, who were hiding in a near by bush sprayed the van with bullets killing the driver.

Three Adminiostration police officers accompanying the driver were overpowered and fled. They were however not injured. “It seems the al shabaab were only interested in the vehicle and they knew that it would use the same route back to Mandera as they had seen it go to Arabia earlier in the day. Their target was to shoot the driver, which they did, so as to get the vehicle. They then disappeared with it towards Somalia,” said an elder from Arabia.

Confirming the incident North Eastern deputy PPO Noor Gabow said “security officers drawn from the GSU, Regular and administration units are looking for the suspects. “We don’t want to speculate, we are treating this case as mere banditry, we are sure we will catch up with them.” The incident comes barely two weeks after two police officers were injured when they were attacked a few kilometres from the crime scene. Mandera East deputy OCPD Michael Mbaluka, who was in the car, escaped unhurt. He has since been moved to Bomet in the same capacity. North Eastern has been the victim of terror attacks by al shabaab sympathisers following the invasion of the Kenyan army in Somalia.