Mandera police successfully defended against an overnight Al-Shabaab assault targeting a Chinese workers’ lodging near Elwak, ensuring all ten residents remained safe while sustaining vehicle and property damages amidst broader border security issues.
Security forces in Mandera successfully prevented an incursion by Al-Shabaab combatants attempting to forcibly enter a Chinese contractor’s dwelling situated approximately one kilometer from Elwak Police Station.
The attack, which took place around 1:00 am, resulted in intense gunfire exchanges between the militant group and security personnel stationed at the compound.
The attackers, equipped with both rudimentary and advanced weaponry, destroyed the main entrance and compromised the surrounding protective fencing.
Authorities reported that the militants arrived in four Toyota Probox vehicles, entering Elwak town from Buraache via border crossing routes.
“The assailants positioned themselves across from the primary entrance of the Chinese compound, but the vigilant officers maintained their positions and effectively thwarted the assault,” officials stated.
Reinforcements from the Elwak Border Patrol Unit (BPU) augmented the on-site security contingent, ensuring all ten individuals at the residence remained protected during the operation.
Consequently, the militants destroyed a police patrol vehicle along with five Toyota Hilux double-cabs, a grading machine, and a water truck owned by the Chinese nationals involved in a local development project.
The main entrance and protective barrier in front of the dwelling also suffered significant destruction.
“Normalcy has been restored and the situation is now fully under control,” police confirmed.
The Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) has assumed responsibility for the case filed with Elwak Police Station.
This incident occurs as security authorities intensify operations along the Kenya-Somalia border to counter ongoing infiltration attempts by the Al-Shabaab militant group.
Recent IGAD assessments regarding terrorism threats in the Horn of Africa indicate Kenya experienced increased susceptibility to cross-border spillovers from neighboring conflict zones during July through September, a risk now continuing into the final quarter of the year.
According to the IGAD’s Centre of Excellence for Preventing Violent Extremism (ICEPCVE), despite a reduction in the overall number of attacks, targeted and cross-border incidents continued, demonstrating the tenacity and adaptability of violent extremist organizations operating in the region.
Consequently, this period witnessed sustained militant activity along Somalia and Kenya’s frontier areas, with the conflict evolving toward asymmetric and technology-driven warfare amid enhanced countermeasures.
“The employment of drones, cryptocurrency financing, and Houthi-associated weaponry represented an unprecedented level of sophistication from all parties involved. August witnessed a spike in attacks as militants responded to joint Somali-UPDF operations and international military strikes, while September saw a general decrease in assaults, though targeted and symbolic actions continued, indicating adaptation rather than vulnerability,” the center cautioned.
During the reviewed period, several cross-border and IED incidents were documented in northeastern and coastal Kenya, specifically along the Mandera-Garissa-Lamu route.
