5 Shot Dead In Suspected Al Shabaab Attack

Five quarry workers were reportedly gunned down after suspected militants attacked them in Bur Abor Village, Mandera East.

The deadly ambush was reported to have happened on the morning of Tuesday, April 29, when armed attackers — believed to be linked to Al-Shabaab — targeted non-local workers at a quarry.

Local administrator Mohamed Abdiaziz Roble confirmed the attack, noting that security forces in the area responded quickly but couldn’t track down the assailants in time.

Witnesses say the attackers had planned the ambush carefully, using rocks to block the road and trap the workers' vehicle.

The attack on the quarry workers appeared to be premeditated, taking advantage of the fact that quarry sites are situated far from major police outposts — a factor that often delays rapid response.

With heightened tension across the wider Khalalio-Hareeri region, authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.

Several other workers were seriously injured in the ambush and have been taken to Mandera Referral Hospital for treatment.

“This is a deeply troubling event. We are working closely with security forces to ensure justice and restore a sense of safety.”

Attacks by suspected Al Shabaab militants have been on the alarming rise in Kenya in recent months. In March, a senior National Police Reservist (NPR) officer was shot dead in a pre-dawn attack by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Iresuki village, Mandera County, on Monday morning, March 24.

According to an incident report filed at Elwak Police Station, around 30 heavily armed militants stormed the village at approximately 5:00 AM, engaging NPR officers in a fierce gunfight.

The attackers, armed with AK-47 rifles and PKM machine guns, targeted the NPR post, fatally shooting Officer Abdikher Ibrahim, who was the head of the national police reserve in charge of the governor’s office.

On a light note, five Kenyan chiefs who were kidnapped by suspected Al-Shabaab militants back in February, while on their way to a security meeting ahead of President William Ruto’s visit, were set free in early April.

Still, with insecurity on the rise, especially in border counties, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen is up against a major challenge in trying to keep things under control. One of the steps he's taken so far is arming local administrators in high-risk areas to help boost security on the ground.

“I don’t see any problem in having our chiefs armed. If civilians can apply and get licences to be gun holders, why not the chiefs? We shall facilitate a procedure where the chiefs will be assessed, and if it’s proved that their lives are at risk in their areas of operation, we shall provide them with guns and the permit or licences immediately,” Murkomen said in March.