MANDERA, Kenya — Kenyan police on Tuesday said they thwarted a night raid by al-Shabaab militants on a Chinese workers’ residence in Elwak, Mandera County, securing all 10 occupants and repelling the attackers after a prolonged exchange of gunfire.
The assault began around 1 a.m. when heavily armed men forced their way into the compound, located roughly one kilometer from the Elwak Police Station, according to a police statement. Officers guarding the site engaged the assailants in sustained fire, preventing them from breaching living quarters used by Chinese road construction staff.
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“The officers on duty gallantly held their ground and successfully repulsed the attack,” police said, adding that the attackers later fled.
Authorities said the militants demolished the main gate and damaged a perimeter barrier before opening fire from positions opposite the entrance. The attackers, armed with both crude and sophisticated weapons, were believed to have arrived in four Toyota Probox vehicles from Buraache via border cutline routes near the Kenya–Somalia frontier, police said.
Reinforcements from the Border Patrol Unit in Elwak were deployed to bolster local teams, who escorted the Chinese nationals to safety. The workers, who are involved in road construction projects in the region, live under armed police protection, authorities said.
No injuries were reported among civilians or law enforcement, though several vehicles and equipment were damaged in the assault. Police listed the following as affected:
- a police vehicle
- five Toyota Hilux double-cab pickups
- a grader
- a water bowser
Investigators were assessing the scene in Elwak to determine the attackers’ route and identify the cell behind the raid. Police did not immediately announce any arrests or casualties among the assailants.
The attempted raid in Mandera came hours before a separate security operation in western Kenya. In Migori County, bomb disposal experts on Tuesday defused a suspected improvised explosive device found beneath a bridge in Nyatike, officials said. The device, connected to a live wire, was safely disabled and seven pieces of gel explosives were recovered at the scene.
Multi-agency security teams cordoned off the area for several hours during the operation to protect residents and traffic, authorities said. No injuries were reported.
Police said investigations were ongoing in both cases to establish the motive and whether there are linkages between the Mandera attack and the explosive device in Migori. No group immediately claimed responsibility for either incident.
The incidents underscore the persistent security pressures facing communities near the Kenya–Somalia border and the risks confronted by road construction crews operating under police protection. Authorities urged residents to report suspicious activity and said additional patrols and visibility operations would continue in affected areas.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
