Kenya thwarts suspected Al-Shabaab attack in border region

Kenya's security forces on Thursday night thwarted attempts by suspected Al-Shabaab militants to attack a village in the northeastern region near the border with Somalia, an official statement said on Friday.

A statement from the interior ministry said a gang of armed Al- Shabaab militants was sighted at around 6:00 p.m. in Yumbis village, Garissa county, after which local people alerted security forces who moved swiftly to engage them.

The attackers were repulsed after a gun battle with no casualties reported.

"The government commends members of the public for taking pro- active action to report the sighting of these Ugus (what Al- Shabaab is referred to by the Somali government ), and urges Kenyans to continue collaborating with security agents to ensure that members of this group who might have taken refuge among innocent locals are flushed out," the statement said.

Inspector General of Police, Joseph Boinett, also tweeted that suspected Al-Shabaab fighters were ambushed after being found harassing the residents for food and water in the village.

The attempted attack came barely a day after the insurgents briefly took over a mosque in the same region and reportedly addressed the congregation for two hours before escaping into a forest.

The government has come under fire for failing to prevent the April attack by Al-Shabaab gunmen on Garissa University College that killed 142 students. Endi