On Monday, June 7, gunmen ambushed two buses between Olla and Sarman in Mandera county, killing at least one passenger and injuring ten others.
The buses were on their way to Mandera town in the morning when they were blasted with gunshots by gunmen suspected to be al Shabaab terrorists.
Northeastern regional police boss Rono Bunei said the gang escaped to a nearby thicket and that security officers were trailing them.
“We are pursuing them towards the Somalia-Kenya border where they escaped. They will be caught,” he said.
One of the buses reportedly toppled as the driver rushed away from the scene of the attack, gravely wounding some of the passengers, according to witnesses.
According to the witness, the shooters wanted the buses to come to a halt, which may have resulted in multiple deaths.
“We have many casualties but so far 11 have been brought to a local hospital after the incident. They have multiple injuries,” said a senior police officer aware of the incident.
As part of security precautions, the buses normally leave in a convoy.
Since 2013, the region, which is in Northern Kenya, has been a safe haven, but it has recently become an easy target.