The incident that occurred on Monday afternoon sparked off protests by residents who accused the Kenya Defence Forces of killing ‘innocent people.’ Photo/FILE.
While locals accuse the military of shooting at the vehicle after blocking their convoy, Kenya Defence Forces Spokesman Col David Obonyo said “The vehicle had passed three of our (KDF) vehicles when it suddenly exploded,” he told Capital FM News on telephone, “it was not shot at as claimed.”
The governor however, dismissed the claim, saying he did not see any sign of explosion when he visited the scene.
“I personally visited the scene in the company of several officials and found the car and nearby buildings riddled with bullets. There was no sign of an explosion,” he said, and demanded a thorough investigation and possible prosecution of officers involved.
The incident that occurred on Monday afternoon sparked off protests by residents who accused the Kenya Defence Forces of killing ‘innocent people.’
Police have not said if any of those killed or injured is a criminal or has links with criminals.
Kenyan security forces have been on high alert since last week when the Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet warned of “real terror threats” in the country after Al Shabaab militants split into two groups—supporting Al Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS).
Those now loyal to IS operate in the Mandera region, while the Al-Qaeda force is based in the southeastern Boni Forest district, police said.
The attack on Sunday is in a similar area to an ambush last Monday, when Al Shabaab gunmen opened fire on a bus, killing two people at Elwak.
On Saturday, police said a suspected Al Shabaab fighter was killed nearby when a homemade roadside bomb he was planting exploded.
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