At least 20 Kenya
police officers are said to have died in an attack by suspected Al-shabab
militants. The assailants are said to have used rocket- propelled grenades to attack a convoy of
police officers who were patrolling in Yumbis village, 70km north of Garissa town,
while more officers reacting to a distress call from the first attack were
killed when their vehicle hit a landmine planted by the fighters.
An Al-shabab military
spokesman said the armed group had killed about 25 Kenyan police officers in Garissa, a statement which has
been disputed by Kenya's interior ministry. According to Kenyan officials no
one was killed in the attack, although a few police officers had succumbed to
bullet injuries and were rushed to hospital.
Five police officers
were missing and four vehicles had been torched in the attack. Kenya defense
forces and police officers have been deployed in Yumbis and Daadab refugee camp
to fetch out the attackers. “We are going to pursue them till the last minute,
these blood stains will direct us where they are hiding” said Garissa police
commander.
Al-Shabab has carried
out several attacks in Kenya in retaliation over Kenya's military involvement
in Somalia, with the latest attack being the murder of 148 students of Garissa
University.