Nairobi, March 13 (IANS) At least three people were killed and eight critically injured when Al Shabaab militants attacked the convoy of Kenya’s Mandera county Governor Ali Roba on Friday.
Two police officers and a civilian died when the militants attacked the convoy on Arabia-Omar Jilo road, a few kilometres from where 28 people were killed in November 2014, Xinhua news agency reported.
However, the governor who has survived a series of similar attempts on his life, escaped unhurt, government officials said.
Mandera East Deputy County Commissioner Elvis Korir said the militia used a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) to hit the governor’s security convoy.
“The governor’s vehicle had just passed the scene of the attack a few minutes before the attack on the security officers escorting him to an official function at Wargadud,” Korir said.
The official said the latest attack occurred at 9 a.m. in an area which is prone to recurrent ambushes by armed Somali militants.
The road is prone to militant attacks because of its proximity to the war-scarred Somalia. The militants usually launch attacks along the porous Kenya-Somalia border stretching less than five km on the Mandera- Fino-Arabia-Lafey road.
According to the security officials, the eight people were injured after a hand grenade was lobbed at the vehicles. Three of the eight wounded are in serious condition.
The vehicle went up in flames due to the impact of the grenade where the three dead were burnt beyond recognition.
The militants disappeared towards the Somalia border shortly after the attack escaping with two vehicles of the ill-fated convoy, one belonging to the county government and a van.
Korir said a contingent of security officers, including regular police and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) have been dispatched to the area to pursue the assailants to their hideouts.
Officials were making plans to airlift the injured to Nairobi.
The attack comes barely a day after one of the masterminds of Westgate shopping mall attack was reported killed in a US drone raid in Somalia on Thursday.