Suspected Al-Shabaab militants launched coordinated attacks on the towns of Arabia and Fino in Kenya’s Mandera County, leaving an infant injured, local security officials said.
Authorities said security forces responded to the attacks and immediately launched a manhunt for the assailants, who are believed to be members of the Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab.
According to security officials, the attackers were about 10 in number. An intensive search operation is underway to track them down, with officials expressing confidence that the suspects will be unable to cross into Somalia due to the heavy deployment of security forces along the border.
Residents said the attack occurred around sunset as many people were preparing for the Maghrib prayer. Authorities have urged members of the public to report any information that could help identify or locate the attackers.
The incident comes just a week after Kenya reinforced security along its border with Somalia by deploying additional troops to prevent cross-border infiltration by Al-Shabaab, following a series of attacks in the border region.