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2022 Mandera attack

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2022 Mandera attack
Part of Somali Civil War (2009-present)
LocationHagarsu, Mandera County, Kenya
DateJanuary 31, 2022
Deaths10
Injured13
Perpetrator al-Shabaab

On January 31, 2022, al-Shabaab attacked a bus carrying civilians in Mandera County, Kenya, near the border with Somalia. Ten people were killed, and thirteen injured, in the attack.

Background

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The Somali government has been fighting the jihadist group al-Shabaab since 2009, in the Somali Civil War. Due to a lack of security along the Kenyan-Somali border, al-Shabaab militants often launch raids into rural Kenyan counties, like Wajir County, Lamu County, and Mandera County.[1] In 2019, al-Shabaab attacked a bus in Wajir county that was carrying law enforcement, killing eleven people.[2] The road attacked in January 2022 had also been attacked before in 2015, killing three people but failing to assassinate the Mandera County governor.[3] Another attack hit the road in 2021.[4] Prior to the January 2022 attack, French, American, and Dutch officials warned Kenyan security that attacks were likely, but Kenya stated that they had no knowledge of these.[5]

Attack

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At the time of the attack, the bus was traveling through the town of Hagarsu, along the E87 highway.[4] Around 20 people were on the bus at the time of the explosion.[6][7] Witnesses stated gunshots rang out, and then the bus hit an IED on the road, which was suspected to have been placed there earlier that week by al-Shabaab.[6][7] Survivors stated that following the bombing, al-Shabaab militants attacked the bus and shot people, injuring and killing several.[3] A police report later claimed the attackers fled back towards the Somali border.[6] Two other vehicles behind the destroyed one were unaffected by the attack.[7]

Initial reports from Kenyan media stated six people were killed, which rose to a number between seven and thirteen as injuries were still being assessed.[8][better source needed] Hospitals in the area stated that they were treating 13 people for injuries.[9] Ten people were killed in total, with thirteen injured.[5]

Aftermath

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The Honorary Consulate of Kenya to Ukraine expressed their condolences.[10][better source needed] The Mandera County Deputy Governor Mohamed Arai called on security agencies to fully investigate the bombing.[7] In an interview with Hiiraan Online, Rono Bunei, the North Eastern police commander, stated that the attackers had warned the bus driver by placing a sign, and that the driver had likely not seen it.[7]

Days later, on February 2, four people were killed in an al-Shabaab planted IED in Wajir County.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "Kenya: Casualties reported following a roadside explosion in Mandera County Jan. 31". Kenya: Casualties reported following a roadside explosion in Mandera County Jan. 31 | Crisis24. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  2. ^ "Islamist militants claim attack on Kenya passenger bus – DW – 12/07/2019". dw.com. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  3. ^ a b "Roadside Bomb Hits Bus, Kills 13 on Kenya-Somalia Border". VOA. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  4. ^ a b "At least 13 people have died with several others seriously injured after a matatu they were travelling in ran over an IED in Hagarsu, Mandera". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  5. ^ a b "At least 10 killed in IED attack on matatu in Mandera". The Star. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  6. ^ a b c "At least 10 killed in Kenya when vehicle runs over explosive". AP News. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Inside the ill-fated Mandera matatu journey". www.hiiraan.com. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  8. ^ "6 people killed in Mandera IED attack". Facebook. January 31, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  9. ^ "Mandera attack: Seven killed in Kenyan bus ambush". BBC News. 2022-01-31. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  10. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  11. ^ "Four killed in IED attack on a vehicle in Wajir". The Star. Retrieved 2023-09-01.

Further reading

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