Five people died yesterday in an early morning attack in Jabibar Lafey in Mandera County, after a lorry was sprayed with bullets by suspected Al-Shabaab militia.
The driver defied Al-Shabaab orders and ran over them killing two on the spot. Three passengers in the lorry were shot dead while two civilians escaped with injuries.
While confirming the incident Mandera County Commissioner (CC), Onesmus Kyatha, said that the lorry was ferrying miraa from Meru to Mandera and had five occupants before being attacked by unknown number of suspected militia.
The driver of the ill-fated lorry and one passenger managed to escape with slight injuries.
“It’s quite unfortunate that this morning at around 8 am at Jabibar Lafey, suspected Al-Shabaab militia attacked a lorry ferrying miraa to Mandera from Meru, we lost three civilians,” said Kyatha.
He warned locals from seeking transport (lifts) from unsecure and unauthorised vehicles. The injured are receiving treatment at Mandera County Referral Hospital.
Security officers were quickly deployed in the area and they are pursuing the attackers.
Kyatha has requested local residents to report any suspicious person or information to the police that may assist in bringing the culprits to book.
He added that government has deployed more special forces to Mandera County to flush the terror group.
Series of Al-Shabaab attacks has been witnessed in Mandera in the last one month.
By Charles Matacho
