NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 18 — The number of people killed in terror attacks reduced to 100 in 2021, down from 122 in 2020, a report released by the Centre for Human Rights and Policy Studies (CHRIPS) has revealed.
The index nearly reduced to a two-digit figure marking a transition from three-digit fatality figures reported in previous years.
CHRIPS is a leading international African research centre based in Kenya that conducts policy relevant research on human rights, security, terrorism and counter-terrorism, violence, crime and policing.
The report, which comes a few weeks after foreign embassies issued a warning on an impending terror attack in the country, indicated that 51 terror-related attacks were reported in 2021, a 74 per cent decrease compared to 69 attacks recorded in 2020.
“Twenty-six (26) of the 100 fatalities reported in 2021 took place in May while 24 of the reported injuries happened in June. There were no fatalities or injuries recorded in April. There also were no injuries recorded in February, March, August and September,” the report released on Thursday indicated.
The highest number of fatalities recorded was of security officials where a total of 46 officers were killed in Lamu, Mandera and Wajir counties. Thirty-four Al Shabaab militants and 20 civilians were killed within a period of 12 months.
Based on the report, attacks intensified in January decreasing from February to April and intensified again in May and June. They later decreased from July to November with a slight increase in December.
January and May recorded the highest number of attacks.
“The highest number of fatalities was recorded in May when 26 people were killed due to terror attacks. During this month, suspected Al Shabaab militants attacked security officials employing Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) on a Kenya National Intelligence Service (NIS) Land cruiser,” the report said
“This attack resulted in the death of at least eight officers with several others injured. The officers were on their way to the Kenya-Somalia border where construction of the wall is ongoing,” it added.
In the period under review, Al Shabaab only claimed responsibility for the February 25 attack at Sheikh Barrow village in Mandera county that left a Kenya patrol border police dead.
“There were no fatalities recorded in April. June recorded the highest number of injuries with 24 people being injured from terror-related incidents. In an incident in June, two buses accompanied by police were attacked Between Olla and Sarman in Mandera county. 11 people were injured including two police officers and nine civilians,” the report stated.
There were no injuries recorded in February, March, April, August and September.
The report further revealed that most of the attacks occurred in the northeastern region of Kenya in areas close to the Kenya-Somali border.
Lamu county recorded the highest number of fatalities at 53 resulting from 12 attacks reported during the period under review.
“An attack reported in September left 15 Al Shabaab militants burnt beyond recognition after their vehicle ran over an IED device that had been planted by another Al Shabaab group,” the CHRIPS report revealed.
Like in previous years most of the attacks in 2021 were targeted at security officials mostly in transit, according to CHRIPS.
“In May, for example, six attacks were targeted at security officials, three of these being by use of IEDs set on roads. Several attacks targeted at construction workers and security officials on their way to the Kenya- Somali border wall under construction were recorded in the period under review,” the report indicated.
In regards to terror-related arrests, 39 people were arrested in 2021, a decrease from 2020 and 2019 when 76 and 135 people were arrested respectively.
“Mombasa and Mandera counties recorded the highest number of arrests during the period under review,” the CHRIPS publication reported.
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