Two National Police Reservists (NPRs) and five civilian construction workers have been killed after armed men ambushed a team overseeing the ongoing construction of the Arabiya-Lafey Road at Hagarso area at around 7am.
Confirming the incident, Mandera County Police Commander Robinson Ndiwa said a multi-agency security team had been deployed to pursue the attackers and establish the circumstances surrounding the attack.
Ndiwa said the operation involved officers from the General Service Unit (GSU), Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Police Tactical Unit (PTU), regular police, Administration Police and National Police Reservists.
He said the motive of the attack was yet to be established, although security agencies suspected the attackers could be members of the Al-Shabaab militant group.
However, the police commander cautioned that the identity of the attackers had not been confirmed and investigations were ongoing.
He appealed to members of the public with information that could assist in identifying those responsible to report to security agencies.
Ndiwa said the number of attackers was also unknown as security officers continued with efforts to track them down.
He noted that the Arabiya-Lafey Road construction project had been ongoing since April without reported security incidents along the route before this attack.
The police commander further said the situation in the area remained calm despite the incident, as security agencies continued pursuing the attackers.
The attack has raised concerns over the safety of construction workers and security personnel involved in development projects in the region.
By Adan Mohamed
