A Chinese national who is among 25 others engaged in the construction Nunow-Modogashe road based at Shimbirey in Garissa County described a botched al-Shabab attack as horrific and scary. Sonia Liu, a site official with Zongwei group limited, said she was at her room when she heard loud bangs which she initially thought was a tyre burst.
According to Liu, as the bangs became intense it dawned to her it was a gunshot which was coming from the construction site’s gate. She said she immediately knew they were under attack and had to do something quick to save her life adding that she thought of her parents back at her home country.
“It was very horrific and scary I hid under my bed as I got out my phone to call Garissa town OCPD to inform the police in Garissa that we were under attack while officers at our camp were engaging the terrorists,” she said.
Liu said she was more terrified when bullets went through her roof landing in her room, this made her assume they were already in their compound. “Death was so close that I thought about my parents, I thought they (attackers) will over power security people at the gate but it was a relief when police came to rescue us noting all was well,” she added. The Chinese national acknowledged the prompt response by police and Kenya Defence Force (KDF) moments after the shootout started.
“We appreciate the efforts by security officers who engaged the attackers and the quick reinforcement they received from Garissa,” Liu added. According to an eyewitness, about 8 hooded gunmen attacked the site but police who had prior information about their presence responded quickly. The assailants fled while three people were injured in the attack.
According to Garissa County police commander David Kerina all 25 Chinese nationals and 45 Kenyan workers were accounted for. The county police boss said although no one has been arrested following the incidents, police are tracing the assailant’s trails who are believed to have fled to Dadaab refugee camp. This incident come just a week after another attack at DusitD2 Hotel on Tuesday, January 15, in Nairobi which left 21 people dead.