Wednesday July 11, 2018
GARISSA, Kenya, July 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan security officers have launched a manhunt for al-Shabab militants who attacked a police camp in northeast Garissa county near the Somalia border on Tuesday, injuring three police officers.
Northeastern regional coordinator Mohamud Saleh said on Wednesday that the attackers believed to have crossed from neighboring Somalia first destroyed the town's Safaricom communication mast by hurling explosives and later proceeded to attack Hamey police patrol base.
"Police officers engaged them with a heavy fire fight and got overwhelmed. The militia injured three officers who were flown to Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Dhobley base for medication," Saleh said.
He said the militants made away with a support weapon, police vehicle, flags, solar batteries and VHF radio including food rations.
Saleh said a contingent of police officers have been mobilized to pursue the attackers after leaving the residents with no communication network.
The administrator said security forces have intensified patrols along the border with Somalia in the wake of terror attacks in the border region. This is the latest such incident in the area and no arrests have been made so far.
Since the Kenyan soldiers crossed into Somalia in 2011, several attacks believed to have been carried out by al-Shabab have occurred in Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa in northern Kenya.