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No police killed in Kenya camp raid by Al-Shabaab militants

Xinhua, February 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

No police officers were killed after Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab attacked a police camp in northern Kenya's border region early Thursday, officials said.

A regional government official David Mbevi said armed attackers took off with four bio-metric registration kits belonging to the Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission (IEBC), two police riffles and one from the Kenya police reservists (KPR) from the strong room.

The Al-Shabaab terrorists who have claimed responsibility for the attack also cut off a mast belonging to mobile operator Safaricom before attacking the camp in Arabia, located 30 kms from Mandera town.

Mbevi said a boy from a neighboring school was injured in the head during the incident at 1:30 a.m. while dismissing reports that police officers were killed.

The boy, 15, who was then sleeping in a house near the camp, was injured by a stray bullet during fire exchange between the militants and police.

Lafey Deputy County Commissioner Eric Oronyi said the incident left no officer injured as they were in their hideouts within the camp as they fought the militants.

Oronyi said there were ten police officers at the time of the attack and all are alive.

Mbevi said police had information on the attack and waited for the militants at strategic positions within the camp.

"The gallant officers fought bravely and repulsed the attackers to neighboring Somalia whose number could not be ascertained by area security officials," he said.

Telephone communication has been cut off from Arabia as the Safaricom mast was completely brought down by Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) planted within the mast area.

The attack came barely a week after a deadly attack on Kenyan soldiers in Kulbiyow, southern Somalia, claimed nine Kenyan lives but Al-Shabaab indicated it was at least 67. Kenya has not formally released the toll.

Security has been enhanced in the restive region which has been beset by increased terror attacks since Kenya crossed into southern Somalia to pursue the insurgents in 2011. Endit