NAIROBI, Kenya,Dec 17— In the early hours of Tuesday morning, Kenyan security officers fought a prolonged and high-intensity battle to repel a coordinated Al-Shabaab assault on a residential compound housing Chinese nationals in Elwak, Mandera County, an operation that security officials say prevented a potentially deadly siege.
The attack unfolded at about 1.15am when an estimated 40 suspected Al-Shabaab militants attempted to breach the compound, located roughly one kilometre north-west of Elwak Police Station.
Officers manning the facility immediately engaged the attackers, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire that lasted close to 90 minutes.
“Upon arrival, a heavy exchange of gunfire ensued between the militia and police officers who were on guard duty at the residence,” read a police report.
“The firefight lasted for approximately one hour and thirty minutes.”
According to security briefings, the militants infiltrated Elwak Town using border cutline routes from the Buraache area, arriving in four vehicles before taking up positions opposite the compound’s main gate.
Armed with AK-47 rifles, PKM machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and a directional mine, the attackers blew up the main gate and damaged sections of the perimeter wall in an apparent bid to force their way inside.
Officers guarding the residence held their positions as the militants intensified the assault, calling in reinforcements as the firefight escalated.
Border Police Unit (BPU) officers responded, tightening the security ring around the compound and preventing the attackers from overrunning the facility.
At the height of the battle, an armoured personnel carrier deployed to the scene came under sustained fire.
Three of its tyres were hit by bullets and RPG fragments, briefly immobilising the vehicle but not halting the defensive operation.
Senior officers from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU), the Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit (CIPU), the Kenya Police Service and other formations later arrived to coordinate the response and assess the aftermath of the attack.
“All the foreign nationals at the residence were secured and accounted for,” police said, confirming that none of the Chinese workers was injured during the operation.
While no casualties were reported among the occupants, the compound and project equipment sustained significant damage.
Several vehicles were riddled with bullets or had their windscreens shattered, a grader and water bowser were damaged, and a motorcycle was completely burnt.
The main gate and security barrier bore the brunt of the explosives used by the attackers.
In total, 22 officers drawn from various security units defended the compound, expending nearly 3,000 rounds of ammunition as they pushed back the militants.
By dawn, security forces had regained full control of the area and restored calm in Elwak.
Joint teams have since launched pursuit operations in the surrounding areas to track down the attackers, who escaped under the cover of darkness.
The failed raid mirrors previous Al-Shabaab attempts to target foreign nationals and infrastructure projects in Kenya’s north-eastern region, and underscores the continued volatility along the Kenya–Somalia border.
