Kenyan authorities said Wednesday security forces are pursuing suspected Al-Shabaab militants who destroyed a telecommunication mast belonging to mobile operator Safaricom in Mandera county.
Mandera South Deputy County Commissioner Daniel Bundotich said national police reservists exchanged fire with the militants before they escaped on foot to Somalia.
He said a security operation is underway to pursue the attacks who had crossed from Somalia to carry out attacks on the Kenyan soil.
“A contingent of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and police are pursuing the attackers, we will hunt them down using any means,” the government official said.
“The police reservists were overpowered by the attackers as they engaged in gunfight but none was injured during the 1:30 a.m. attack at Dabacity area.
“No arrest has been made but the search is on,” Bundotich said.
He said a loud explosion was heard and police reservists guarding the mast reported an attack at Dabacity by the militants but none of the police reservists was injured in the incident.
Bundotich said the motive of the attack was to paralyse communication in the area to prevent quick response from security officers.
“We are aware the terrorists want to cut communication on our security forces as they plant Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) on the road unmarked,” he said.
The area is along the Mandera-Nairobi road used by public and security vehicles where the militants have planted IEDs in the past targeting security vehicles.
The latest incident comes two days after a KDF armored personnel carrier was attacked in neighboring Damasa in Lafey sub county where two officers succumbed to the IED attack.
(Source: Xinhua/NAN)