Suspected Al-Shabaab ambush bus, kill two in Garissa

The bus that suspected Al-Shabaab gunmen intercepted in Garissa County on September 14, 2018, before killing two people. PHOTO | ABDIMALIK HAJIR | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Witnesses told the Nation that about eight attackers, armed with AK 47 rifles, intercepted the bus owned by Kilas Company between Ijara and Sangailu.

  • The gunmen killed the bus mechanic and a passenger who was a casual labourer in Masalani town.

  • They then escaped before military officers arrived and found the bodies and found the bodies a few meters from the crime scene.

Suspected Al-Shabaab gunmen killed two people on Friday morning after ambushing a bus in Garissa County.

A witness told the Nation that about eight attackers, armed with AK 47 rifles, intercepted the bus owned by Kilas Company between Ijara and Sangailu, as the people travelled from the border town of Hulugho.

IDENTITY CARDS

The bus left Hulugho at about 9am while the ambush took place at about 11am.

The witness said an attacker who spoke Kiswahili emerged from a thicket with guns and asked the driver to stop.

He and the others then ordered everyone to alight from the vehicle and display their identity cards, which they used to separate them.

"There were three non-locals who were ordered to recite the Shahada. One had lived with locals all his life so he was able to read and was freed," said the witness, a passenger who did not want to be named for security reasons.

The gunmen killed the bus mechanic and a passenger who was a casual labourer in Masalani town.

They then escaped before military officers arrived. The officers found the bodies a few meters from the crime scene.

FAITH-BASED WAR

Speaking during the launch of the Horn of Africa eradication of polio initiative, Garissa Governor Ali Korane noted that terrorists are pushing for disunity among Kenyans who have been living peacefully.

"They want to wage war on grounds of faith and ethnicity. We will not allow this. Kenyans from other parts of the country will be part and parcel of our communities. No one will divide us," said Mr Korane.

The county chief said local leaders will not allow "ill" people to divide Kenyans and disrupt services.

He asked the national government to ensure terrorism is eradicated and noted that the county is ready to help security personnel.