136 people rescued in Mandera Al shabaab attack

Terror group Al-Shabaab targeted 150 people in the attack in Mandera County but 136 were rescued, the government said Tuesday.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery admitted they did not have prior intelligence of the planned attack by the militants when they struck on Tuesday at about 1.30 a.m.

“If we had prior intelligence on the planned attack we could have stopped it. It was a surprise as it happens in many other parts of the world and as I said the terrorists sneaked into the country with the help of some collaborators,” he said.

Nkaissery said the unknown number of attackers targeted a residential estate in Mandera Town where the 150 people mostly quarry workers were sleeping.

“The attackers blew up the gate of the estate using IEDs. The intention of the heinous murderers was to take siege of the quarters with the aim of executing the 150 residents of the estate,” he said.

He added that when police heard the IED explosion, they swung into action and engaged the attackers who had gained access into the estate and had started shooting residents at random.

The swift response by the police repelled the attackers who fled back to Somalia, he said.

By then 14 people had been killed and 11 others seriously wounded. Eight of the wounded were flown to Nairobi for specialized treatment.

Locals said the attackers planted the Improvised Explosive Devices on the entrance of the estate of the victims before they went off.

They then hurled petrol bombs to the metal grill entrance, which triggered the IEDs to explode before opening fire.

Nkaissery said police swift action led to the rescue of the 136 residents who were facing imminent danger of slaughter by the terrorists.

The victims had been staying within Mandera Town, far away from the quarries to avoid an attack on them at the places of work.

This followed last year’s incident in which 36 workers were killed in a raid by the terrorists.