GARISSA, Kenya – At least six people were killed and four others injured early Sunday after al-Shabab militants raided a security camp in Garissa County in northeastern Kenya along the border with Somalia, the police said.
Police spokesman Michael Muchiri confirmed the attack, which occurred at about 5:30 a.m. local time at a national police reserve camp in Biyamadhow. He added that security has been reinforced, with more police and security teams dispatched to the region to pursue the militants.
The Kenya Police Reserve is an auxiliary force to assist the regular Kenya police in maintaining law and order, particularly in rural areas, by combating issues like cattle theft and armed banditry.
The police said the attackers overran the camp, shot and stabbed victims, and ransacked the camp before escaping.
“Multi-agency security operatives are piecing this incident together with the anti-terrorism police unit at the lead. Progress to follow,” the police said in a report.
The attack took place near the porous Kenya-Somalia border, an area frequently breached by al-Shabab militants. Since Kenyan soldiers crossed into Somalia in 2011 to forestall the threats posed by al-Shabab, several security officers and scores of civilians have been killed in northeastern Kenya, with many maimed and property worth millions destroyed.
However, Kenyan authorities said the deployment of the troops in the southern regions of Somalia has so far helped curb the movement of explosives, counterfeit electronics and contraband sugar across the border.
XINHUA
