Suspected Al-Shabab militants have raided a town in Mandera county. Hareri Hosle, which is next to the Kenya-Somalia border on the dangerous Mandera-Lafey-Elwak route, which was closed by the Kenyan government in 2015.
The route was closed after the militants killed 28 passengers in a hijacked bus that was heading to Nairobi.
The Al Shabaab militants raided a store in Hareer Hoosle in Mandera East before making off with goods of unknown value.
Deputy County Commissioner Lawrence Omondi said the militants stole foodstuff before touching the goods warehouse.
The gunmen injured a National Police Reservist before killing three cattle, a donkey and two goats. Taking to Twitter, VOA journalist Harun Maruf said local residents reported heavy gunfire in the area.
Al-Shabaab militants have launched an attack on the village of Xariiro Hoofle (possible I misspelled location), near Mandera town in the early hours of Sunday. Local residents have reported a heavy gunfire. Still trying to get more information about casualties.— Harun Maruf (@HarunMaruf) May 5, 2019
The al-Qaeda affiliated group warns that attacks will continue as long as Kenya maintains its soldiers in an African Union force that is helping prop up Somalia’s government.
Its previous attacks in Kenya include a 2015 raid on a university campus that claimed at least 147 lives, and an assault on Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall in 2013, when 67 died. Al-Shabaab’s then-leader Ahmed Abdi Godane was killed by a U.S. drone strike in 2014 and he was succeeded by Ahmed Umar. The group swore allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2012, and it competes with Islamic State for members and support.