How Al-Shabaab fighters attacked police camp in Kenya

GARISSA, Kenya - Somalia-based Al-Shabaab fighters used a 'guerilla-like' approach when storming a police base in Kenya, on Sunday, killing at least six officers attached to the National Police Reservists, who are a crucial backup to security forces in terror and bandit-prone regions.

The base, located in the Fafi constituency, was hosting reservists who are integral in the fight against the militants who control large swathes of rural central and southern regions in the Horn of Africa nation.

Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo told the BBC the style of the attack followed a pattern of raids by the Somali-based Islamist militant group al-Shabab. The militants often sneak from Somalia to launch attacks in Kenya.

According to him, the attackers ambushed the officers on Sunday morning just as the security officers were preparing for morning prayers. Four officers were critically injured and are currently receiving treatment.

Mwabudzo said the "guerrilla-style" nature of the attack aligns with al-Shabab's "pattern of cross-border raids aimed at destabilizing the region".
"The suspected militia used assorted weapons to overrun the camp," he added.

The camp targeted in the assault was housing reservists - local volunteers who assist the regular police in securing remote areas. In the last two decades, the reservists have played a key role in securing northeastern Somalia from the group.

Recently, the government of Kenya dispatched elite forces to the region to help multi-agency security teams in battling Al-Shabaab. The elite forces, based in Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa, have managed to neutralize the militants.

Most of the remote bases established by the militants have been brought down with the security teams working closely with locals to restore normalcy. Cases of Al-Shabaab raids have increased during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

GAROWE ONLINE