NAIROBI – A major operation was mounted after a driver attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) was Monday morning shot and killed by suspected al-Shabaab members in an attack in Lafey, Mandera County.
An unknown number of gunmen later grabbed his four-wheel drive car and escaped with it. Police said this was after they had dropped the body of the deceased from the car.
A passenger who was in the car was taken away by the gunmen, police said. The deceased was attached to the local police command. The area is near the Kenya-Somalia common border which is usually breached by the group.
Police said the gang crossed the border into Somalia. The body of the deceased was moved to a local mortuary. This is the latest such incident in the area amid operations by separate teams.
President William Ruto is scheduled to visit the neighboring Wajir County for a pastoralist meeting. This prompted more operations to tame any plans by the terrorists to attack locals.
Such operations have thwarted dozens of planned attacks in the area and inland. The area is under a multi-agency security operation and is near the Kenya-Somalia border.
The multi-agency operation seeks to flush out the militants from the hideout. This has seen a significant reduction in such incidents. The area has been facing an increase in terror-related attacks. This is among other things because of its proximity to the Somalia border.
The border areas of Mandera, Wajir, Lamu and Garissa too have faced similar attacks which have affected development at large. The government says they have acquired more resources to enhance operations in the border area against the terrorists.
The attacks have left many dead and displaced hence affecting development. The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border where the terrorists cross at will for attacks before retreating to their areas of control.
