Six police officers killed in attack in Kenya, Al Shabaab claims responsibility

At least six Kenyan soldiers have been killed in an Al-Shabaab raid on a police station near Kenyan border with Somalia, the group said on Thursday.

Heavily armed Al-Shabaab fighters have raided Hamey village in the outskirt of former North-eastern’s provisional headquarter, Garissa.

The raid took place at about midnight local time, according to local residents.

Confirming that they carried out the attack, al-Shabaab militants on their propaganda radio station Radio Andalus claimed to have killed a number of Kenyan police officers during the raid.

“Armed Mujahideen troops last night attacked a base of unbelievers in Kenya in Harissa County, Haamey region. Several police officers and soldiers were killed and others,” said a statement from the group.

Meanwhile Kenyan Inspector General Joseph Boinnet refuted the group’s claims but confirmed the disappearance of two police officers after  Al-Shabaab attack at the Hamey patrol base in Garissa County.

“Over 50 terrorists attacked the police patrol base in two land cruisers but the officers in the camp managed to repulse them amid fierce exchange of fire,” Boinett said in a statement issued in Nairobi. “Following subsequent reinforcement, all officers have been accounted for except two. One has been airlifted to Nairobi for specialized treatment after suffering gunshots.”

Al-Shabaabhave launched several attacks in Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa and Dadaab districts of northern Kenya.

In April last, Al-Shabaab stormed Garissa University in Garissa town, killing more than 140 people, mostly students. The attack is still the deadliest witnessed on Kenyan soil from the group since Al-Shabaab’s inception.