Nairobi – Kenyan police have repelled an attack by suspected Al-Shabaab militants on a security camp in the country’s north-eastern Mandera County, close to the border with Somalia.
According to police, an unknown number of suspected Al-Shabaab fighters launched an assault on the Fino security camp on Friday evening. Security personnel responded swiftly, engaging the attackers and forcing them to retreat.
During the attack, a student was shot in the stomach and taken to hospital, where authorities said the victim is in a stable condition. Police added that a security operation is continuing in the area to ensure there are no remaining threats.
Residents told local media that the attack began in Fino between 18:00 and 19:00 local time (15:00–16:00 GMT). A separate attack was reported in the nearby town of Arabia about an hour later, while heavy gunfire was also heard in the Asharaf area of neighbouring Mandera County.
No group has formally claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, police suspect they were carried out by the Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab, which has previously targeted Kenya’s north-eastern region.
Mandera County and other parts of northern Kenya have experienced repeated cross-border attacks since Kenya deployed troops to Somalia in 2011 as part of efforts to combat the Islamist militant group.
The latest incident comes amid heightened security across Kenya following renewed threats by Al-Shabaab to carry out retaliatory attacks unless Kenyan forces withdraw from border areas and Somalia.
Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant as security operations continue in the affected areas.
