Militants hijack KPLC car, cross to Somalia

A security operation involving the military and police is pursuing suspected al Shabaab gunmen who hijacked a Kenya Power vehicle headed to Mandera town on Thursday.

The two militants wielding pistols stopped the driver and took the car.

The control of the car.

The KCH 803Q Land Cruiser was stolen at 6.15pm outside the power plant minutes before the start of the dusk-to-dawn curfew.

The curfew hours are from 7pm to 5am. Police change guard and militants have used the period to attack.

The incident comes barley a day after the government extended the curfew on grounds it would curb cross-border crime. The Kenya-Somalia security wall project is barley 8km from border Point One in Mandera.

County commissioner Fredrick Shisia told the Star on the phone the stolen vehicle was commandeered towards Somalia.

He said police were alerted and pursued the militants, but were unable to catch up with the vehicle as it crossed the porous border with Somalia.

In 2015, the government banned vehicles from plying the Lafey-Elwak road after al Shabaab militants carjacked vehicles ferrying miraa from Meru county.

Attacks on the route declined drastically.

Two children killed

The Kenya Power vehicle attack comes a week after two children died and three others sustained serious injuries in Hareer Hasle in Mandera after an IED exploded on them.

The children were playing in an open field.

Source:the-star.co.ke