Al-Shabab militant

Gunmen believed to be members of al-Shabab insurgent group killed six people in an attack on a residential housing area in the Kenya town of Mandera near the border with Somalia.

While confirming the attack, Ali Roba, Governor of Mandera County added that one other person was also seriously injured by the insurgents.

“We grieve with our families,” he said, adding “sadly 6 lives are too many to lose.”

The Governor also confirmed that security forces responded to the attack and were able to rescue 27 people, including the injured person, from the housing area.

The housing area that was attacked belongs to Kenya’s ministry of public works, according to residents who added that the tenants are either government workers or contractors working on controversial border fences, VOA reported, quoting anonymous sources.

Kenya media reported the attackers used grenades and then shot at the victims randomly.

The attackers threw grenades and fired rocket propelled grenades according the resident.

One of the RPGs reportedly hit a mobile money services shop though there was  no casualties were reported from this explosion.

VOA reported that this is the latest cross border attack by al-Shabab since Kenya intervened Somalia in 2011.

Last year Roba narrowly escaped an al-Shabab attack when his convoy was targeted near Mandera.

VOA quoted a  security source as saying al-Shabab has trained about 200 new militants from Somalia and Kenya that it plans to dispatch to the coastal regions of Kenya.

The training took place near Badhadhe town in Lower Jubba region of Somalia according to the source.

Al-Shabab previously carried out several high profile attacks in the Lamu coastal county.

With VOA report.