A police officer was shot and killed in an attack by two gunmen in Mandera Town, Mandera County.
Corporal Hassan Omar, 55 was on patrol in the area near Taqwa Mosque when he was confronted by two gunmen on February 25, police said.
The gunmen shot him twice in the head killing him on the spot.
They escaped towards the nearby Kenya-Somalia border without stealing anything from him.
Police responded to the scene and found the lifeless body of the officer lying on the ground with his AK47 rifle that had 80 bullets next to it.
The motive of the attack is yet to be known. Police believe the officer was targeted. A major operation has since been mounted in the border area.
Police said the gang is believed to have crossed from Somalia for the mission.
Two spent cartridges were recovered from the scene.
The body was transported to Mandera Referral Hospital Morgue for a post-mortem examination and later released to the family for burial.
This comes in the wake of new attacks being staged by the al Shabaab militants who cross from Somalia.
The gang has staged two attacks in the area and especially in Elwak where a soldier from Kenya Defence Forces was Monday February 24 morning killed after an explosion caused by an improvised Explosive Device. Five other soldiers were seriously injured in the attack.
The attack was the second one in less then 24 hours following Sunday’s where a four-wheel drive car was badly damaged in the same area.
Officials said a joint patrol party involving KDF and Special Operations Group encountered a reinforced ambush leading to death of one KDF soldier at Qura-Qura 15 kilometers outside Elwak.
The other team escaped as they engaged the gang behind the attack in a gunfight.
Their vehicle was badly damaged in the Monday attack, officials said.
On Sunday, another security car encountered an IED in the same area but no injuries were reported.
The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border which is usually breached by the al Shabaab terror group.
Police said they had mounted operations in the area to tame the terror activities.
Last week, the Assistant chief of Bula power sub location in Mandera Township was arrested in connection with his involvement in an attempted and illegal processing of Kenyan IDs in favour of two foreign nationals cum terror suspects.
The suspect identified as Isack Mohammed Abdi and Noor Yakub Ali were arrested in a failed abduction plan targeting Chinese nationals in the town on February 18.
The administrator Yussuf Maalim Issak is suspected to have facilitated the procurement of an acknowledgement for registration slip /Id waiting card for the terror suspects who were arrested while planning the abduction of a team of foreign nationals engaged in the construction of a sewer line in Mandera town.
The arrest has sparked more probe to establish the veracity of the issue.
Police suspect more foreigners have been helped to illegally acquire documents in Kenya.
The assistant chief was processed with the detectives and other security agencies working tirelessly to ensure that the residents of Mandera and all working within the town and it’s environs remain safe and secure and they undertake their day to day activities.
On February 18, police in Mandera East arrested two suspected al Shabaab operatives, who had planned the abduction of a team of the foreign nationals working at a sewer line construction site within Mandera township.
Acting on intelligence, the ever agile sleuths swiftly arrested the prime suspect, Isaac Abdi Mohamed alias Kharan Abdi Hassan, 29, who had recently sneaked his way into the country from El-ade in Somalia and forged a number of documents to identify as a Kenyan.
On keen scrutiny and thorough interrogation, it was discovered that the suspect was to pay Sh100,000 to his local associate, who would assist in the abduction exercise before he and another, Noor Yacob Ali, 29 facilitated the to-be victims’ movement to El-ade at a Sh300,000 fee.
Consequently, another operation was conducted, where Yacob Ali was cornered and arrested at Metameta area within Mandera township by a multi-agency security team.
This comes as Kenya is still negotiating with terrorists who kidnapped six people including five chiefs in Elwak, Mandera.
The group is being held in Jilib, Somalia amid efforts for their release.
The abductors have demanded ransom for the release of the victims.
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