Somalia-based militants kill 11 passengers onboard bus in Kenya

WAJIR, Kenya - At least 11 passengers onboard a Mandera-bound bus was on Friday evening killed by Al-Shabaab gunmen, the first attack in as many months targeting civilians.

The deadly attack was waged by an unknown number of suspected militants along Wargadadud-Kutulo road in Wajir County, several miles North Eastern of the capital Nairobi.

Northeastern Regional Commissioner Mohamed Birik said that all the non-locals in the Medina bus were executed on spot.

“Yes, I can confirm that the attack indeed occurred and we lost eight innocent lives of Kenyans. It is unfortunate that al Shabaab has perfected the art of killing innocent souls," he said.

But a police officer attached in Wajir town confirmed to Garowe Online that three other passengers were shot while fleeing from the scene.

According to the officer who spoke in confidence, the militants secluded locals from non-locals before executing them. The exact number of assailants is still not known.

The passengers, the officer said "were mostly police officers reporting back to their stations in Mandera where they are deployed to beef up security".

The militants are said to have taken advantage of the heavy floods in the region to unleash. The driver was unable to make any attempts to save those on board.

Birik told media that, "As a government, we will never relent. We will go for them and smoke them out of their hideouts. Our resolve to completely eliminate this region of these heartless people is never in doubt.”

Already, Special Forces from KDF have been deployed to the region to pursue the militants. The scene is not far from where around 8 police officers were killed in September.

The government, Birik added, has beefed up security on commuter buses playing Garissa-Wajir-Mandera route to counter Al-Shabaab threat.

This is not the first time Al-Shabaab militants are targeting a commuter bus. In 2014, at least 21 non-locals were killed by the militants in Rhamu, few miles from Mandera.

Also, there have been a series of attacks targeting non-locals and security forces. In October, 11 police officers died after their vehicle ran over an IED.

The latest assault has attracted condemnation from both Mandera and Wajir county leaderships, who have called for responsiveness from security forces.

In a statement to newsrooms, Laffey MP Abdi Mude said, "the government must come out clean to explain why such buses are not accorded escort as the area is vulnerable and within reach of the terrorists."

Mohamed Abdi, Wajir Governor said, “I want to appeal to our security apparatus to remain proactive and on alert at all times. we cannot be loosing live in the hands of the militant in this day and age."

Although the government has deployed military and special police officers along the Kenya-Somalia common border, Al-Shabaab militants have often waged deadly attacks.

The last major attack took place in Nairobi where 27 people were killed by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in January this year at Dusit D2 Hotel.

Kenya is currently pushing for the designation of Al-Shabaab as a terrorist group under UN Resolution 1267, a move that has been opposed by the US and Somalia.

President Uhuru Kenyatta last week insisted that the KDF team will continue remaining in Somalia until Al-Shabaab militants are crushed.

GAROWE ONLINE