The militant group al-Shabaab allegedly destroyed a communication mast in Mandera County, Kenya. Mandera County Commissioner, Amos Mariba, stated that the suspected extremists used guns and explosives to damage the Safaricom mast in the area.
Sukela Tinfa, Mandera County, KENYA. By Yahya:
The attack occurred in a sparsely populated area of Sukela Tinfa earlier this week. It left the communication network down, awaiting repairs to restore the network. “A Safaricom mast was destroyed in the night attack and is currently partially damaged. The mast needs to be repaired for the area to have the normal network,” Mr Mariba told Daily Nation over the phone.
The mast was under the guard of the Kenya Police Reserve (KPR). However, heavily armed extremists outgunned them at around 1 am. It is surprising that despite the communication disruptions and ongoing attacks and fears in the region, the commissioner views the security situation in his county as relatively good at the moment.
North Eastern Kenya on high alert
This incident occurred only two days after suspects from the same group targeted a police car in the region. The extremists fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) at the vehicle and disappeared under unclear circumstances. According to local reports, the ambush allegedly killed two officers and injured five others. However, the Somali Digest could not verify this information independently.
In recent months, al-Shabaab has targeted both civilians and security personnel in North Eastern Kenya. The heightened attacks pose a significant security threat in the region, prompting relevant authorities to discuss and establish potential strategies and responses.
In an alarming revelation, Mandera’s Governor recently said that al-Shabaab is present in more than 60% of his county’s territory. However, recent nationwide opposition protests, which kept most of the nation’s security agencies busy, have paralysed Kenya and further complicated the situation in the North East.
Moreover, the Somali government’s offensive pushed al-Shabaab towards the Kenyan border. Analysts expect the group to seek to ramp up its Kenyan operations. The recent takeover of the strategically-positioned Giriley military base, only 15 kilometres from the Kenyan border, should serve as the most urgent warning sign.
