Kenya Police: Officers survived Yumbis terror attack

GARISSA, KENYA: Security officials in Yumbis area, Garissa County now say all police officers who were missing are safe and alive.

It was not immediately clear how the attackers managed to torch the police vehicles after the ambush which left the officers scattered in the neighbourhood, raising fears about their whererabouts.

Garissa County acting police commander Shadrack Maithya said contrary to unverfied reports that 13 officers had died after a terror attack by suspected Al shabaab militia they were all found alive after a search in the area.

Two officers however suffered injuries after the Monday evening incident.

“We have accounted for all the officers. Two were critically injured and they are being taken to Nairobi for treatment,” said Maithya.

Maithya said at least two members of the terror group were killed and a gun found on them.

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Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet said five vehicles belonging to police were burnt.

“In ensuing tactical mission, two police officers were critically injured, three sustained minor injuries while five vehicles were burnt down,” said Boinnet.

He made the remarks even as Al-Shabaab claimed they had killed more than a dozen police officers in the incident.

The militant group said five police vehicles were burnt down in the incident that happened as the officers dashed to rescue their colleagues who had been hit by a roadside landmine on Monday evening.

According to Boinnet, the officers were headed to a place where another team of officers had been injured in an earlier attack through a landmine Monday.

In the earlier attack, three police officers were injured after their vehicle ran over a land mine. One was shot in the hand.

It was then that a second team dashed there to rescue them. On the way, they ran into an ambush by gunmen who were waiting forcing them to scamper for safety.

It took authorities almost 12 hours to confirm the safety of the officers who were on board the police vehicles.

Police spokesman George Kinoti said no death had been confirmed.

“Contrary to earlier reports of deaths on our side, no death so far,” said Kinoti.

The same area was in the spotlight last week, after the militants raided mosques and lectured worshipers.

A day later, Kenyan security forced said they thwarted a planned attack by Alshabaab gunmen on a village in Fafi constituency at the Kenya-Somalia.

The gunmen even hoisted flags there before the security forces arrived.

This came two days after al Shabaab crossed into Kenya from Somalia, and went to "preach" for two hours in a Mosque in Ijara warning the Mosque leaders from exposing sympathizers. They were led by wanted Al shabaab leader Mohamed Kuno alias Gamadhere.

They mentioned several local leaders in the dress down warning them against stepping foot in the County before leaving. Gamadhere comes from Garissa County and a bounty is on his head for anyone who will help capture him.

He has been linked to the Garisssa university attack on April 2 in which 148 people were killed by terrorists.