{28 people are feared dead after a bus they were traveling in was hijacked by suspected al-Shabaab militia as it climbed the hills of the notorious Omar Jillo area of Mandera East Sub County.}
Confirming the attack, Mandera East Deputy County Commisioner, Elvis Korir said initial reports indicate that a team of more than 100 armed militia stopped the Nairobi bound bus and ordered everyone out.
The assailants separated passengers, targeting those they perceived to be non-Somali and opened fire, killing them as the Somali group who were also in the bus watched in disbelieve.
“The armed men stopped the bus just after it left Arabia area and all the passengers asked to come down where they were divided into two groups of Somalis and non Somali,” said Korir.
“More than twenty eight have been killed and many others injured but we are yet to know the exact happenings since we planning to dispatch a team of security personnel to the scene,” said Korir.
Mandera County Police commander Noah Mvivanda speaking as he dispatched the police to scene said the more than a hundred militia asked everyone on board to recite the Islamic doctrine and those who failed were shot dead.
“We have been communicating to two young ladies who managed to escape and they said from there hiding that four police officers are among the dead but we are yet to confirm because some officers had just left for December holidays,” said Mvivanda.
Mvivanda said they are planning an aerial surveillance of the area before the security team leaves for rescue considering the fact that a similar attack late last year at the area was used as a trap in which eight police officers where killed.
The Star
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