- Two of the victims were shot dead by the gunmen while two others were lynched by a mob in retaliation.
- Police said the driver of a lorry carrying the 13 miners was shot and killed.
Image: CYRUS OMBATI
At least four people were killed in a fight over control of a gold mining site in Merti, Isiolo on Tuesday.
Police said five others were injured in the clash between an armed gang and miners.
Two of the victims were shot dead by the gunmen while two others were lynched by a mob in retaliation.
There are fears the fighting will rage on and escalate to other areas in the neighbouring counties.
Police said the fighting is taking place in Kom Durte where there are mining fields which are a source of living for many in the area.
The group of miners heading to the site are the latest victims to be attacked.
Police said the driver of a lorry carrying the 13 miners was shot and killed.
In the same area, police were shot at as they intercepted 20 motorcycles carrying bhang believed to be have originated from Ethiopia.
Seven bales of the narcotics and five motorcycles were recovered while the rest managed to escape with their luggage.
Police had raised alarm on the increased trafficking of narcotics along the route and efforts to reinforce the checks are ongoing.
Eastern police boss Rono Bunei said they have mobilised more personnel to address the menace at the mining area.
In May, the government ordered an immediate ban on unlicensed mining activities in the Kom region of Merti subcounty.
This followed the declaration of a security operation to flush out criminals hiding in the mines.
This was in tandem with the launch of Operation Rejesha Amani Marsabit.
The operation was launched following incessant inter-ethnic attacks that have defied peace initiatives and the lapse of the 30-day window sought by county leaders to secure reconciliation.
Security forces had earlier intercepted a huge cache of explosives in Merti.
The explosives were meant for Nairobi and were being moved by a terrorist cell.
The operation is by security teams drawn from the GSU, Rapid Deployment Unit, Quick Response Unit and Anti-Stock Unit.
Some leaders from Isiolo had then protested against the plan to close down the local mining site in one of the areas declared by police as a disturbed zone.
Instead, they asked the security agencies to focus on flushing out bandits raiding various parts of the county, killing people and stealing herds of cattle.
They argued it was their considered view that declaration of Kom sublocation as a disturbed area will not provide a lasting solution to the insecurity problems in Kom.
The leaders said Durte mining is not illegal but an informal site, with more than 3,000 residents depending on it.
They also proposed to the government to set up a special and permanent GSU camp in Kom as a long-term deterrence against raiders from neighbouring counties.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)