Al-Shabaab militants raid police station in Kenya, raising terror threat

NAIROBI, Kenya - Two members of Al-Qaida associates Al-Shabaab militants were killed by their colleagues at Dadajabula Police after fiery gunfight with Kenyan security forces.

A General Service Officer attached to a nearby station in Wajir town, located over 500 KM North East of the capital Nairobi, said the militants raided the station at around 8pm on Tuesday.

The militants whose number could not established, used Rocket-Propelled Grenades to launch deadly attack on the police officers who were manning the station.

In the process, the officer confirmed, they killed two suspected Al-Shabaab militants who had been locked by the police in the station.

"Our security team was alert. When we had a tip-off, we rushed to the scene and already found our colleagues engaging them. Two detainees had been killed," he said.

According to him, the militants motive could have been either to 'kill their colleagues to conceal certain information or to free them'.

"It's hard to tell their mission. Maybe they wanted to subdue our officers and take the detainees or just kill them and conceal certain information," he added.

A section of Wajir residents took on Twitter to alert security teams about the incident. The police source said three officers and a civilian were injured during the fight.

“Heavy gunfire reported in Dadajabula, Wajir South… a heavy barrage of artillery and RPGs reportedly being fired as security forces including the military battle with attackers,” Ali Awdoll tweeted.

Kenya Defense Forces team gave swift reinforcement to the police officers, subduing the attackers who later fled to Somalia, 16 kilometers from the scene. All 16 officers at the station have been accounted for.

Police department in Nairobi is yet to issue a statement in connection to the raid. Similarly, Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang'i was engaged in Mombasa and is yet to give any updates.

Incidentally, the raid takes place just a week after Somali security officers handed over two suspected Al-Shabaab militants to Kenyan authorities in Garissa.

The two suspects were ferried to Nairobi for interrogation. Early this month, suspended Al-Shabaab militants killed 11 police officers near the Liboi border in Dadaab constituency. The officers' vehicle ran over an IED.

Kenya has intensified calls to have Al-Shabaab blacklisted as a terrorist group by the United Nations. However, the move has faced resistance from the US and Somalia, who claim that such drastic actions will sabotage humanitarian activities.

Currently, over 4,000 Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) troops are stationed in Somalia for peacekeeping. Kenya first deployed her forces to fight Al-Shabaab to the Horn of Africa nation in 2011.

Reporting by Abuga Makori in Nairobi; Editing by Omar Nor

GAROWE ONLINE