Al Shabaab militants attack Wajir, kill two

Two people were killed Saturday morning after suspected members of the Al Shabaab militia group attacked Dagah area in Tarbaj, Wajir County, some 630 kilometers north of the capital Nairobi.

Tarbaj police boss, Andrew Mwiti, said the suspected Islamic fighters ambushed the residents killing by shooting them at close range.

The militants, he said, also destroyed communication masts belonging to giant telco, Safaricom, before setting on fire some unoccupied police houses.

Mr Mwiti said that the militants, armed with guns and other weapons, used Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to destroy the communication masts with an aim of creating a communication breakdown in the area.

The police boss said the two deceased were casual labourers attached to a construction company based in Barbara area.

Two motor vehicles were also destroyed during the attack after the militants set them on fire.

The attack on the communication masts has created a network breakdown in the area with most mobile phone users being affected.

Al Shabaab attacks have been rampant in North Eastern Kenya, although the region has enjoyed a relative calm over the last one year.

The Al Qaeda affiliated fighter launched attacks on Kenya after the government’s decision to send its troops to the neighbouring Somalia to help combat the rising cases of terrorism.

Somalia has not had a stable government for close to three decades since the militants overthrew Mohamed Siad Barre, the President of the Somali Democratic Republic who had ruled from 1969 to 1991.

The Islamic fighters have been working to establish an Islamic State in the Horn of Africa country.