Five die as lorry hits landmine

A woman identified only as Ms Hadija was among the injured at the Bodhai attack by Al-Shabaab at the King Fahd Hospital in Lamu. PHOTO | ATHMAN OMAR | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Lamu County Police Commander Chrispus Mutali said the five — two men, two women and a baby — died at Omolo Bridge, 10 kilometres to Bargoni.
  • Three injured people, including two policemen, were taken to King Fahd Hospital in Lamu. Also at the hospital was a woman with serious bullet injuries.
  •  Al Shabaab terrorists have killed up to 500 people in Kenya since 2012 and the government has been making efforts to contain the Somali-based group.

Five people died yesterday after a police lorry hit an explosive suspected to have been planted by Al-Shabaab terrorists on the Budhai-Bargoni Road in Lamu County.

Kenya Red Cross Society Lamu Branch Coordinator Mohammed Abdulkadir said the victims, among them a mother and her breast-feeding baby, were all civilians who had hiked a lift on the police vehicle. The officers were from Garissa.

“I am in constant communication with our volunteers in the area. The five bodies have been taken to Bargoni army camp. Relatives have been asked to identify and collect them. Two are Kenyan of Somali origin, two are Bonis from Budhai and Milimani villages,” added Mr Abdulkadir.
Police commander

Lamu County Police Commander Chrispus Mutali said the five — two men, two women and a baby — died at Omolo Bridge, 10 kilometres to Bargoni.

He said the Al-Shabaab terrorists hurled a petrol bomb at the vehicle after it hit the explosive device. An exchange of fire ensued. The vehicle had six officers and eight civilians.

Three injured people, including two policemen, were taken to King Fahd Hospital in Lamu. Also at the hospital was a woman with serious bullet injuries.

Hospital sources said the officers and the woman, identified only as Hadija, were admitted with gunshot wounds. The officers were last evening set to be discharged.

Ms Hadija had bullets lodged in the neck and legs with doctors saying she might be airlifted to Nairobi for specialised treatment.

By the time of publishing this story, the woman was still in the hospital’s theatre.

The officers were from Bodhai Police Camp.

Earlier in the day, Northeastern Regional Commissioner Mohamud Saleh confirmed the explosion, but not the deaths.

He said the officers had left their station in Bodhai, Ijara Sub-County, Garissa County, in the morning for Lamu.

“The area has no network and is inside Lamu County but security officers from Hulugho Sub-County led by the area OCPD have left for the scene and we are waiting for a detailed report which we will share with the media later,” he said.

Mr Saleh said the vehicle was extensively damaged by the explosion and had been towed to Lamu County.

He suspected the attackers are believed to be the Al-Shabaab who hide in the Boni Forest that stretches into Somalia.

Mr Swaleh had said at that stage he had scanty information about the incident, which had happened outside his jurisdiction.

He, however, said the officers were safe and had been evacuated to Hindi town by a security team from Lamu County.

 Al Shabaab terrorists have killed up to 500 people in Kenya since 2012 and the government has been making efforts to contain the Somali-based group.

On Monday, last week, the terrorists killed 14 quarry workers in Mandera County.

On April 2, they killed 148 people, 142 of them students, at the Garissa University College.