Three KDF soldiers were seriously injured Thursday at Milimani, Lamu East Sub County, when suspected Al-Shabaab militants sprayed their truck with bullets.
Lamu County Police Commander Ephantus Kiura told reporters that the soldiers were on their way from their base at Bar’goni and were going to fetch water from Mangai Village.
Three of them were airlifted to Magogoni Naval Base for treatment.
Mr Kiura said a combined KDF, GSU, the Rapid Deployment Unit and regular police was deployed to Milimani following the attack.
The attack comes two week after a Lamu-bound Tawakal bus was attacked at Lango la Simba on December 20, 2014.
Following the ambush the bus company requested for armed escort.
Newly appointed Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaiserry recently extended the Lamu mainland curfew to January 26, 2015.
Al Shabaab attack police in Lamu, set vehicle on fire
Armed militants ambushed police on patrol in the volatile area of Lamu County and opened fire on a vehicle, reportedly injuring several people including police officers.
Witnesses told The Standard last evening that two policemen were killed but state authorities discounted the claims asking for calm pending verification of conflicting reports from the scene.
There were conflicting reports of where the attack took place with some reports indicating the attack occurred at Milihoi, between Mpeketoni and Hindi townships at around 6.30p.m. James Ole Seriani, the top government official in charge of the joint task force leading operations against insurgents in Lamu County, told The Standard that “there was some shooting between Mkunumbi and Koreni and police officers have responded and the operation is still going on”.
He said he had little information but confirmed that he had received a report that “one person was injured and a vehicle burnt around 6.30 this evening”.
Ole Seriani said the vehicle was a civilian one but added that he has not received any reports of police deaths.-standardmedia.co.ke
Three KDF soldiers seriously injured in Lamu attack
