OMM Newsroom
Suspected Al-Shabaab militants attacked a convoy escorting road workers on Tuesday in Mandera, on Kenya’s border with Somalia, AnewZ reported. Eight people were killed, according to police and a senior regional official.
The attack took place at around 7 a.m., according to a local police report. Witnesses said gunmen opened fire on a security vehicle escorting engineers and other construction workers in the Koromey area near Hagarsu, along the Arabia Road.
Preliminary police information cited by local media said the dead included five engineers and two members of the National Police Reserve. The vehicle’s driver died of his injuries while being taken to Mandera County Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Police sent additional officers to the area to pursue the attackers and investigate the incident. Regional official John Odhiambo Otieno said the gunmen were suspected of crossing into Kenya from neighboring Somalia. An investigation is under way to establish their identities.
Attack took place during inspection of road project
Witnesses said the engineers were inspecting a major infrastructure project when the attack took place. The project is intended to build the area’s first paved roads since independence, including a five-kilometer bitumen-surfaced section.
The Kenya National Highways Authority is overseeing work on the Fino-Lafey section of the Mandera-Lafey (B95) road. Surveying and mapping work was carried out by the Kenya Urban Roads Authority before the project began. Local lawmaker Mohamed Abdikheir has also worked to advance the project.
Residents called on the government to strengthen security and launch an urgent investigation into the deaths.
Security threats in Mandera
Al-Shabaab, which controls large areas of Somalia, has repeatedly carried out cross-border attacks against Kenyan troops and civilians. Security analysts say the group is seeking to force Kenya to withdraw troops participating in peacekeeping operations in Somalia.
Mandera faces persistent threats, including cross-border raids and ambushes targeting security forces, construction workers and transport routes. Militants also frequently target security patrols with improvised explosive devices. Tensions along the border have led to protests and unrest among local communities and foreign nationals.
In response to security challenges, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen ordered local chiefs to be given weapons and training. He also called for the recruitment of additional police reservists and the deployment of inter-agency security teams across the region.
