This archive report was first published on 14 June 2020.
On Sunday morning, police in Mandera engaged in a fierce shootout with Al Shabaab militants, resulting in the death of a police reservist and several Shabaab members sustaining gunshot wounds.
The incident occurred when an unknown number of Al Shabaab gunmen attempted to destroy a Safaricom mast at Warankalla in Mandera. However, they were repulsed by National Police Reservists (NPR) who engaged them in a shootout.
According to Mandera Police Commander Jeremiah Kosiom, the NPR officers were readying to bring down the mast when the shootout occurred. In the process, an NPR officer was also killed, and several Shabaab members sustained gunshot wounds.
The dead Shabaab member's body is currently in a government facility at Warankalla, where fingerprints details are being taken by security agents to identify next of kin.
The incident occurred just hours after suspected Shabaab militants raided a neighbouring village at Fino and defiled two minors, aged 14 and 15.
Adan Bulle, an eyewitness, stated that the villagers were forced to follow the orders of the militiamen, who defiled the girls at gunpoint.
Aminah Gedow expressed regret that security agents in the area did not respond to the incident swiftly.
The girls who were bleeding profusely at the Mandera county hospital are in a stable condition.
