Officer found alive after Al-Shabaab attack in Lamu

Lamu Panda Nguo attack survivor and others recall experiences

A police officer who went missing after Al-Shabaab attacked at Pandanguo Police Post in Lamu has been found alive.

The officer managed to trace his way back to the station safely early Thursday morning.

3 DEAD

His return makes it 15, the number of officers who survived the over seven-hour battle that started at 5.30am on Wednesday.

The station had 19 officers and three were killed in the gun fight that saw villager flee Pandanguo and more than six primary schools close.

One officer is still missing after the daring attack that saw several militants felled.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Defence Forces have recovered the police vehicle that had been commandeered by the attackers.

The Toyota Landcruiser was recovered by soldiers who were part of a contingent deployed to pursue the militants on Wednesday evening.

DRUGS

According to Mr Shafi Bulo, a survivor, the attackers abandoned the vehicle after it got stuck as they entered Boni Forest.

“The attackers had put in food in the vehicle which got stuck in the forest. We called the KDF officers when we saw the vehicle,” said Mr Bulo.

"They arrived with armoured vehicles and recovered it before it was taken by the assailants."

Some of foodstuff and drugs stolen by the attackers from a school and a hospital were also recovered, according to police sources.

But the Al-Shabaab fighters made away with police rifles and other security equipment, the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to brief the media, said.

In a statement, National Police Service spokesman George Kinoti had said that operation to hunt down the attackers was still on.