Counting losses: Wargadud police station bears brunt of Al-Shabaab attack

Torched vehicle at Wargadud police camp in Mandera South. [Ibrahim Adan Ali, Standard]

Police officers stationed at Wargadud police camp in Mandera South are counting losses following Friday's terror attack by suspected Al-Shabaab militants.

The militants, who were reportedly armed with rocket-propelled grenades, PK machine guns and other assorted weapons, killed two police officers and a teacher, destroyed communications towers and carjacked a police vehicle.

According to a police report seen by The Standard, the camp's anti-crime and report offices, senior officers' housing block, four uni-huts and tents were razed during the dawn ambush. A fuel store, Occurrence Book, as well as the cell register, were also destroyed.

Four firearms and two Federal Riot Guns are unaccounted for.

According to the camp's commander, the assailants split into four groups and destroyed the area's telecommunication masts so as to hinder the police from reaching out for backup.

One group targeted Elwak KDF camp, another Jabibar Quick Response Unit (QRU) camp, while the third raided Iresuki village where they damaged a communication mast. The fourth group raided Wargadud police station.

Before fleeing Wargadud, the militants reportedly refuelled the carjacked vehicle at the camp's fuel storage - which they destroyed, and set ablaze a station wagon (Probox) and a totalled police Land Cruiser packed at the station.

Bodies of the deceased were taken to Elwak Hospital mortuary.