Five al-Shabaab suspects were killed on Wednesday evening after they attacked a Garissa border police unit and injured three officers, one of who died in hospital.
Police spokesperson Charles Owino confirmed the death of the attackers on Thursday morning.
“They were a large number…I’ll be able to confirm how many have been killed later but so far we have five bodies. There was a lot of blood,” Owino said.
The militants hurled grenades and improvised explosive devises at Yumbis Rural Border Police Unit camp in Fafi sub-county, injuring one officer on the right leg and left hand, another on the right hand and the third on the left thigh.
The first officer, a constable, succumbed to the injuries at Hagadera IRC Hospital where he and his colleagues were being treated.
The militants were repulsed after 30-minute gunfire, according to police sources.
“The injured were rushed to Hagadera IRC Hospital where they were treated and later referred to Garissa Level 5 Hospital,” according to a Hagadera Police Station report.
Northeastern police boss Rono Bunei said the attack happened a few minutes to 7pm.
"We are yet to establish what happened. Our officers are still on the ground," he told the Star by phone as the attackers were being pursued by ground and air multi-agency officers.
The militants also set on fire a resident's house, claiming that villagers had betrayed them to the Kenyan police.
Five hours before the attack, some residents had found an abandoned military bag with explosives on the Fafi-Haile road.
A security source said Anti-Terror Police Unit and Bomb Disposal Unit officers visited the scene and took away the explosives.
The bag and its contents were to be dusted for fingerprints.
The source said police have been coordinating the mounting of telecommunication masts which had been destroyed by the militants.
“Yesterday, materials for new masts were brought and we were doing the works when the attack happened,” he said.
Wednesday's was the second major attack on Yumbis border police camp. A similar attack happened in June 2019 during which three al Shabaab terrorists were killed.
The attackers destroyed a telecommunication mast and escaped with weapons.
None of the 20 officers at the camp was hurt.
- mwaniki fm
