TWO Kenya Defence Forces’ soldiers were killed in an attack in Baure, Lamu East, by al Shabaab militants early yesterday morning.
During the dawn attack at Baure, some 39km from the Bargoni Military Base, KDF soldiers responded and killed 11 militants.
The attackers, said to be over 50 in number, sought to force their way into the camp at around 5.30am but were repulsed.
The attack occurs exactly one year after the death of more than 60 people in Mpeketoni, Lamu county. Residents were marking the first anniversary of the attack that left hundreds homeless and the area was on high alert.
Another group reportedly raided Mangai village in the same constituency. The terrorists knocked on house doors at around 3am and flushed out over 100 men from their homes. Residents said they were then taken to Mangai Mosque, where they were forcibly lectured and preached to for about three hours, up to about 6am.
The militants then proceeded to the Mangai Dispensary, where they set ablaze the dispensary office and two motorcycles said to belong to the facility.
At Mangai, the militants also went to the newly built Mangai Boarding Primary School, which is yet to be opened, and set ablaze the school’s store and 125 mattresses before vanishing into the dense Boni Forest.
Confirming the attack, an administrator in the county said no one was killed in the village during the attack. The administrator also confirmed that some villagers had fled into the forest during the invasion and that police units had mounted a search for them with the help of locals.
Acting Lamu county commissioner Fredrick Ndambuki’s phone went unanswered.
KDF spokesperson David Obonyo confirmed the attempted attack on the Bargoni Military Base, saying it was fiercely repulsed and that 11 al Shabaab militants were gunned down. He said 11 of the terrorists killed included two fighters of Caucasian origin.
Some of the militants were injured and fled into the Boni Forest, but KDF soldiers went after them in hot pursuit.
An operation has been launched by combined units of the KDF, RDU, GSU and regular police, who are currently combing the extensive Boni Forest in search of the militants who fled there and others who are said to have been hiding there.
“The militants tried to force entry into the camp and that’s when the battle ensued. A hunt has however been mounted to flush out the militants, who fled into the Boni Forest. Many are injured and we shall be on them soon,” said Obonyo.
Obonyo said an assorted number of weapons, including 13 AK-47 rifles, 5 RPGs and 8 grenades was recovered.
He has called on locals to be vigilant and report to the security agencies any person who seeks medical assistance or any suspicious persons who might attempt to hide in the area.
