Suspected al-Shabab militants attacked Abakaile village in Dadaab, Garissa County, on Saturday night, opening fire on a Safaricom telecommunications mast before fleeing the scene, area officials confirmed. The assault, which took place around 8 p.m., briefly sparked fears that a local teacher had been abducted, though authorities later said all teachers in the area had been accounted for.
The attack is the latest in a string of assaults on communications infrastructure along Kenya’s border with Somalia, a tactic security analysts say al-Shabab uses to disrupt police coordination and sow fear among residents before or after larger operations. It comes just two days after militants struck a security camp in neighbouring Mandera County, underscoring a resurgence of cross-border activity that is testing Kenya’s northeastern security apparatus.
No injuries were reported in the Garissa attack despite initial alarm among residents. Area Chief Mohammed Hutle Bull confirmed the incident, saying no injuries were reported despite initial concerns about residents’ safety.
Confusion initially spread after a teacher working in the area went missing in the aftermath of the raid. But it was later established that the teacher had been caught up in the confusion after the militants stormed a residential area, with four teachers residing in the area all accounted for afterward, according to Chief Bull.
Indirectly, police sources indicated that security agencies have launched an operation to track down the fleeing attackers and to reinforce protection around the mast, though neither the Teachers Service Commission nor the National Police Service had issued an official statement by the time of publication.
The incident echoes previous attempts targeting the same area. Authorities noted the latest incident mirrors a similar attack in the same area four years ago, in which a suspected al-Shabab operative died after explosives detonated prematurely during an assault on the telecommunications facility.
The Garissa attack follows Friday’s assault on the Fino security camp in Mandera County, where police officers exchanged fire with militants, forcing their retreat. A student was shot in the stomach during that incident and was reported in stable condition after being taken to hospital. Police have since launched a pursuit operation in Mandera as well.
Telecommunications masts have repeatedly been targeted in Kenya’s northeastern counties over the past decade, with past attacks in Garissa, Mandera and Wajir resulting in fatalities among police, civilians and schoolchildren. Security agencies say enhanced surveillance around critical infrastructure remains a priority as cross-border militant activity persists.
