WAJIR – There was panic among passengers when al Shabaab militants stopped a passenger bus in Wajir on Thursday, June 15 as they searched for non-locals.
At least 55 passengers who were all locals headed for Mandera escaped unharmed in the 4 am incident, police said.
Witnesses who were survivors and passengers said they were on board Almukaran bus when they were attacked in Bore area about six kilometers from Tarbaj trading centre.
The gang of about 15 shot in the air forcing the driver to stop and then ordered all the passengers to alight.
The terrorists said they were looking for non-locals but failed to find any.
The bus was carrying locals, police and the witnesses said.
And after the failed search, the gang allowed the driver to proceed with the journey to Mandera. Nothing was stolen from the passengers and bus crew.
The driver stopped at the Tarbaj police station where they reported the matter before proceeding with the trip which prompted a brief operation in the area which is near the Kenya-Somalia border.
A similar incident happened in the same area on Tuesday, June 13.
The driver of the targeted bus failed to stop forcing the attackers to deflate one of the bus tyres but no injuries were reported, police said.
Past similar attacks left tens of non-local passengers dead. There are fears the terrorists plan a large-scale attack given more of them have crossed the Kenya-Somalia border for the mission.
This came as Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki flew to Lamu Wednesday a day after terrorists killed 16 security officials in an ambush in the area.
The three-day visit to the region which is near the porous Kenya-Somalia border comes amid sustained al-Shabaab attacks.
Security agencies have been mobilized to counter the increasing rate of terror-related attacks near the border.
The past two weeks have seen a rise in attacks stretching along the border, which have left more than 20 people dead.
The latest attacks happened on Tuesday, June 13 in Garissa and Lamu Counties and left more than 16 security officials including a senior military officer dead.
In Bodhai, Sangailu area, Garissa, authorities said the terror group targeted troops with an IED killing ten of them.
This is after their vehicle ran over an IED. The personnel were also attacked by guns, police and witnesses said. A team of National Police Reserve that responded was met with resistance, officials said.
This left six of the NPR dead. Another IED hit a security vehicle in Mararani Area of Responsibility in Lamu killing two troops, officials said, adding the attacks happened almost simultaneously.
Security agencies have warned of worse times ahead as the attacks increase.
Source: The Star
