Hiiraan Online
Saturday December 30, 2017
Ijara Police Station in Garissa County which was burnt by suspected Al-Shabaab attackers on December 30, 2017. The attackers also stole a police Land Cruiser. PHOTO | ABDIMALIK HAJIR | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Nairobi (HOL) - At least eight administration officers have been reportedly killed on Saturday after suspected Al-Shabaab gunmen attacked three AP and police camps in Garissa and Ijara towns in northeastern Kenya.
The gunmen raided the camps just after midnight prompting a shootout between the officers and Al-Shabaab militants.
According to residents in Ijara town, the militants destroyed Safaricom mast in the town prior their raid on the police and AP camps.
Dakane, a resident said the gunmen took over the control of bases after soldiers vacated it.
" Eight soldiers were killed in the dawn raid on nearby AP and police camps. The soldiers left camps. After about two hours, reinforcement from KDF reached the area, No fighting happened between Alshabaab and KDF because already the gunmen left the area," said Dakane.
Two vehicles and a motor at the camps were reportedly torched while another one was taken by the gunmen.
Meanwhile, heavily armed men also attacked an AP camp in the outskirt of Garissa town, according to AP officer attached to the camp.
The officer said the militants attempted to attack the camp but were repelled.
"Al-Shabaab tried to attack our camp, our soldiers at the camp and the fighters engaged in fighting and we subsequently defeated them. They ran away with casualties," he explained.
Hiiraan Online contacted Garissa county officials for comment on the attack but they declined, citing investigations that are currently underway.
Al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the attacks on the camps.
"Our mujahideen fighters raided bases manned by Kenyan police. The bases which located in Ijara and Garissa town were destroyed after Kenyan Soldiers fled from them. Our fighters were controlling the bases for hours, the mujahideen managed to seized a cache of weapon," reads a statement posted on a pro-Al-Shabaab website.
The group has been attacking Kenya's Northeastern region which shares a porous border with Somalia since Kenya sent its troops to Somalia.
Two months ago the fighters loyal Al-Shabaab killed over twelve police officers who were escorting passenger's bus between Borehole and Dhabacity in Mandera county.