Wednesday April 3, 2024
FILE PHOTO - Kenya-Somalia border. IMAGE HANDOUT
Nairobi (HOL) - A police officer sustained a gunshot wound to the leg during a confrontation at the main Kenya-Somalia border in Mandera. The incident occurred as a result of a dispute over two apprehended suspects.
According to Kenya police, the attack involved Somali police and local civilians who overpowered Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers, facilitating the escape of the suspects into Somalia.
The conflict erupted when Kenyan police attempted to search the homes of Mohamed Hassan, 18, and Mohamed Abdifatah, 20, who were arrested for possessing suspicious cables. The situation escalated when the suspects misled them to the wrong location before Somali police crossed the border, aided by local civilians, to rescue the detainees amid gunfire.
The injured officer was hit in the right leg and suffered a fracture and is currently receiving treatment at Mandera Referral Hospital in stable condition. Another officer experienced a slight left-hand injury after taking cover on rocky terrain.
Kenyan authorities are in pursuit of the escaped suspects, with efforts underway to coordinate with Somali officials for their re-arrest. Kenya's Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo recently said that Kenya would not reopen its border posts with Somalia anytime soon because of the security implications of doing so as ATMIS scales back its operations ahead of its eventual withdrawal, which is scheduled for the end of this year. Kenya shares an 800-kilometre border with Somalia.