2022 Mandera attack
| 2022 Mandera attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of Somali Civil War (2009-present) | |
| Location | Hagarsu, Mandera County, Kenya |
| Date | January 31, 2022 |
| Deaths | 10 |
| Injured | 13 |
| Perpetrator |  al-Shabaab |
On January 31, 2022, al-Shabaab attacked a bus carrying civilians in Mandera County, Kenya, near the border with Somalia. Ten people were killed, and thirteen injured, in the attack.
Background
The Somali government has been fighting the jihadist group
Somali Civil War. Due to a lack of security along the Kenyan-Somali border, al-Shabaab militants often launch raids into rural Kenyan counties, like Wajir County, Lamu County, and Mandera County.[1] In 2019, al-Shabaab attacked a bus in Wajir county that was carrying law enforcement, killing eleven people.[2] The road attacked in January 2022 had also been attacked before in 2015, killing three people but failing to assassinate the Mandera County governor.[3] Another attack hit the road in 2021.[4] Prior to the January 2022 attack, French, American, and Dutch officials warned Kenyan security that attacks were likely, but Kenya stated that they had no knowledge of these.[5]
Attack
At the time of the attack, the bus was traveling through the town of
IED on the road, which was suspected to have been placed there earlier that week by al-Shabaab.[6][7] Survivors stated that following the bombing, al-Shabaab militants attacked the bus and shot people, injuring and killing several.[3] A police report later claimed the attackers fled back towards the Somali border.[6] Two other vehicles behind the destroyed one were unaffected by the attack.[7]
Initial reports from Kenyan media stated six people were killed, which rose to a number between seven and thirteen as injuries were still being assessed.
Aftermath
The
better source needed] The Mandera County Deputy Governor Mohamed Arai called on security agencies to fully investigate the bombing.[7] In an interview with Hiiraan Online, Rono Bunei, the North Eastern police commander, stated that the attackers had warned the bus driver by placing a sign, and that the driver had likely not seen it.[7]
Days later, on February 2, four people were killed in an al-Shabaab planted IED in Wajir County.[11]
References
- ^ "Kenya: Casualties reported following a roadside explosion in Mandera County Jan. 31". Kenya: Casualties reported following a roadside explosion in Mandera County Jan. 31 | Crisis24. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ "Islamist militants claim attack on Kenya passenger bus – DW – 12/07/2019". dw.com. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ a b "Roadside Bomb Hits Bus, Kills 13 on Kenya-Somalia Border". VOA. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ a b "At least 13 people have died with several others seriously injured after a matatu they were travelling in ran over an IED in Hagarsu, Mandera". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ a b "At least 10 killed in IED attack on matatu in Mandera". The Star. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ a b c "At least 10 killed in Kenya when vehicle runs over explosive". AP News. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ a b c d e "Inside the ill-fated Mandera matatu journey". www.hiiraan.com. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ "6 people killed in Mandera IED attack". Facebook. January 31, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
- ^ "Mandera attack: Seven killed in Kenyan bus ambush". BBC News. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
- ^ "Four killed in IED attack on a vehicle in Wajir". The Star. Retrieved 2023-09-01.