Grenades hurled at Mandera county offices - VIDEO

Eight armed men Monday hurled grenades at the Mandera county government offices, damaging one side of the building.

County Commissioner Alex Olenkoyo told the Nation that the perimeter wall was also extensively damaged.

There were no deaths or injuries reported.

Mr Olenkoyo said the attackers were repulsed by police officers manning the building and some reservists who responded to the 2am attack, he added.

Mr Olenkoyo said the attackers hid behind TB Manyatta, a wing at the Mandera Referral Hospital, before hurling the explosives at the county offices.

He said the loss arising from the attack was yet to be established.

The gunmen fled into a neighbouring village, he added.

“Our security officers have now cordoned off the village in a bid to flush out the criminals. We have also intensified security patrols along the border with Somalia to ensure we arrest the assailants,” said the commissioner.

Mandera Governor Ali Roba condemned the attack. “The attack will not cow us. Instead, it will bolster our commitment to the war against terror within Mandera,” he said.

Elsewhere, four people Monday escaped unhurt in Hulugho Sub-County, Garissa County, after their vehicle was fired at by soldiers in a helicopter taking part in the Lamu security operation.

A senior security officer said the four were 60km inside Boni Forest, which has become a restricted area because of the ongoing crackdown in Lamu County. The crackdown was launched after armed men killed more than 100 people.

The officers said the military helicopter spotted their vehicle and began attacking it.

The four are said to have gone into the forest to look for their lost cow.

“They came and reported the matter to us. We are advising the public to avoid the area during the operation because they can be mistaken for criminals,” said the source.

Additional reporting by Kennedy Kimanthi