A joint military and Police hunt suspects over botched terror operation near El Wak.
A suspected militant was killed and several
accomplices escaped with injuries after unsuccessfully attempting to plant an
Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the main road in El Wak.
Mandera County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia said one
of the suspected militants was killed when the IED exploded as a joint Police
and the military patrol convoy approached the location.
"The assailants were planting the device along
the road leading to Garesesala water point, frequented by the security officers
patrolling the Kenya-Somalia border," Shisia told to the media.
The Northeastern Regional Coordinator Mohamud Saleh
said the mutilated body of the Al Shabaab suspect was taken to Elwak sub-county
hospital mortuary for identification and investigations.
An AK47 assault rifle carried by the dead insurgent
was dismantled during the explosion.
Police arrested five other suspects during the
operation, Saleh said, adding that the five were among those caught planting
the explosives on the road.
Police believe there could have been others watching
from their hiding during the incident.
"Apart from the one who was killed, we highly
suspect four of his accomplices, were also injured in the explosion since
officers on pursuit of the criminals reported of seeing trail of blood,"
Saleh said.
The Somali-based militants, claiming affiliation to
the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIL) were also blamed for an attempt to attack a
Mandera-bound bus in the same area.
Two people were killed and five others were injured
during the attack.
"On seeing the officers, the militants panicked
and in the process, the IED they were planting went off, killing one of them.
"They fired at the Police and the military
officers as they fled from the scene," a police source told the media.
Shisia said pastoralists, moving to Elwak town saw,
the suspected Al Shabaab insurgents in jungle uniform and burying objects on
portions of the road.
According to the official, a joint security patrol
team in the area was informed about the gunmen digging the trenches.
"The patrol team led by the Police Officer Commanding the Police Division (OCPD) and the Military Officer Commanding (OC) Elwak military base sped towards the area.
"In panic, they attempted to detonate the IED
on the oncoming security vehicles," Shisia said.
A joint military and Police hunt suspects over botched terror operation near El Wak.
A joint military and the Police patrol unit are on the lookout for suspects believed to have escaped a botched terrorist operation in El Wak, Northern Kenya, Police said on Monday.