Kenyan forces deployed to protect telco installations in Mandera County

Kenya forces have increased Security patrols along the Kenya-Somalia border to protect communication infrastructure and citizens from Al-Shabaab attacks, Northeastern regional coordinator Mohamud Saleh said on Monday.

Saleh said Al-Shabaab fighters who bombed two Safaricom masts in Lafey and Fino in Mandera county in the recent months, wanted to handicap security operations in the area

“We have permanent ground security operations on hotpots along the border after we realised that out desperation Al-Shabaab were out to sabotage our communication infrastructure by making incursions on border towns on Mandera,” he said.

The regional coordinator said few attacks have been reported for the past 14 months.

“They were also planning to bomb water pipelines in these towns but we managed to secure them,” he said

He said his security team is working closely with the lower Jubbaland administration under Ahmed Madobe to ensure Al-Shabaab fighters are defeated.

“Our AMISOM troops inside Somalia have secured huge tracts of land. I am optimistic that within no time al Shabaab will be defeated,” Saleh said.

The administrator said sharing of intelligence, improved general command and coordination within the security files and ranks has led to improved security.

“Our key mandate is to ensure that security in Northeastern is restored,” he said.

In July this year, Suspected Al Shabaab fighters raided Fino Town, destroying a communication mast and engaged police officers in a shootout.

The clash cause the injuries of of Kenyan police.

Kenya sent troops into neighboring Somalia in 2011 after a spare of suspected Al-Shabab raids and kidnappings of tourists.