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– Information coming out of Mandera is that two buses were this morning, July 1, attacked by al-Shabaab militants
– So far, six deaths have been reported as those injured are said to be 20
– The attack occurred in the early hours of the morning in Wargadud, Mandera county
Al-Shabaab militants this morning, Friday, July 1, shot at two buses instantly killing six and injuring 20 other passengers.
The attack took place at Wargudud in Mandera county.
Tawakal bus attacked in Mandera by al-Shabaab on Friday, July 1. Image Nation Media
According to information being received by TUKO.co.ke, one of the buses belongs to the E coach and its driver was killed.
The buses had been travelling to Mandera from Nairobi.
The other bus, belonging to Tawakal, did not report any deaths or injuries but was riddled with bullet holes as it escaped during the attack.
A victim is attended to after a bus he was traveling in was attacked by al-Shabaab on Friday, July 1
Yesterday, Thursday, June 30, news emerging from Mandera county was that senior police officers had banned the travel of non-Somali residents into and out of the county due to increased insecurity.
Police sources had said that the measure was put in place to protect residents from al-Shabaab attacks because they were known for sparing the lives of Somalis and citizens of Muslim faith.
They have on numerous times targeted those of the Christian faith.
Another victim of the Mandera bus attacks on Friday, July 1, receives treatments for his injuries.
The police had called a meeting for all bus companies in the county and directed them to not allow non-Somalis on board, a short term move aimed at reducing tension and allow for the re-organisation of security operations.
It was also revealed that police in the county had downed their tools and refused to escort buses as they operated between Mandera and other counties due to poor and unsafe working conditions.
READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab launch another attack on KDF base
“We asked them to rearrange the seats in the cars so that we could face side ways to monitor the roads but we still seat facing each other making it difficult to escape and fight the enemy if we are attacked,” said a police officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
He also said that the duties were now being performed by Kenya Police Reservists.
“We are not barring people from traveling from either Mandera or to Nairobi. We’re saying that they should use alternative means because threats have been eminent for the last 10 days of Ramadan,” explained Yonah Nyawir, the acting Mandera East Deputy County Commissioner.
Al-Shabaab had earlier in the month of June 2016 threatened to carry out numerous attacks on Kenyan soil to avenge the death of their commander who was killed in an AMISOM operation near Mogadishu in Somalia.
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