A local chief is among the dead in the incident that occurred at Sheikh Barrow area, leaving eleven others injured/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 16- At least four people have been killed after a passenger vehicle ran over an Improvised Explosive Device in Mandera, the latest in a series of attacks in the volatile region.
A local chief is among the dead in the incident that occurred at Sheikh Barrow area, leaving eleven others injured.
North Eastern Regional Commander Mohamud Saleh says the road between Lafey and Elwak where the incident occurred is classified as dangerous due to its proximity to the Somalia border.
More than 15 police officers have been killed in recent weeks in similar attacks blamed on the notorious Al Shabaab terrorists which has links with Al Qaeda.
The worst hit area has been the County’s bordering Somalia in what authorities says is change of tactics by the war torn based militia, the Al-Shabaab.
In one instance, 7 officers died when the armoured vehicle ran over an Improvised Explosive Device in Lamu County.
Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet has since vowed that their blood will not be shed in vain.
“The dates between 24th to 31st May 2017 will remain one of the darkest days in the history of the National Police Service. Within this short period, we lost seventeen officers through acts of terrorism who were executing their mandate of maintaining law and order in the areas that were assigned to them,” he said during a prayer ceremony in honour of the departed officers on June 8.
“These were gallant warriors who paid the ultimate price in the service to our motherland, and even in death, the country owes it unto them to pay glowing tributes to their sacrifice.”
He said the police service was more committed to ensuring the threat of terror was eliminated.
“I wish to assure the parents of the departed officers, relatives, Police Officers and the country at large, that the unfortunate attacks which led to the loss of our colleagues will not be in vain. We are aware that we are engaged in complicated war of fighting a faceless enemy but this will never dampen our spirits to bring normalcy in that particular part of the country,” he assured.
“The innocent members of the public who reside there are Kenyans who deserve protection from the country’s security agencies, and we are the ones to do that job.”
As terrorists continue changing tactics, “we will continuously be reviewing our strategies and equipment to ensure that we have the right tools suitable for every terrain,” he said.
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