After suspected al-Shabaab militants ambushed an ambulance transporting patients to a hospital in Elwak, Mandera County, four persons are still unaccounted for.
The attack happened on Tuesday night as a driver raced while carrying a patient and two paramedics.
According to police, a significant operation that was later carried out failed since the attackers had already crossed the border into Somalia with the Kenyans.
Search officials, all of the victims are locals and there is a good probability they will be freed. Police reported that as of Wednesday, Somalia has not provided any information on the missing people.
The four, according to witnesses and police, included two Lafey Sub-County hospital paramedics, a patient, and the ambulance driver. They were traveling to Elwak hospital for referral services.
The four were identified as 40-year-old patient Moulid Abdi, the driver Hassan Shaaban, Abdirashid Billow Hussein, and Aden Dai, who are also Lafey hospital employees.
George Seda, the head of North Eastern police, reported that the incident took place about 5.50 p.m. He claimed the victims had been driven through Komar Qota, which is close to Wante, towards Somalia.
“We have contacted the administration on the other side in efforts to secure the release of the four Kenyans,” he said.
Rifles were used as weapons by the assailants at the time of the incident. According to officials, there have been localised threats of assaults. The extremists that wander the area have been attacking and threatening the locals.
Such attacks are frequent, and they are typically resolved via communication and the assistance of local elders. Terrorists frequently breach Elwak, which is close to the Kenya–Somalia border, and attack at will.
The terrorists lectured the people present in two mosques nearby two weeks ago, urging them to join them in their struggle against non-Muslims.
Before fleeing, they also attacked two communication masts. In a number of occasions, terrorists have destroyed security installations that they had targeted. They occasionally hurl explosives, but they don’t go off.
The extremists have repeatedly attacked the border region, often with the assistance of locals. On occasion, terrorists assault security agencies by planting bombs along their routes.
