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| Map of Garissa district in Kenya (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
GARISSA, Kenya, May 26 (Xinhua) -- At least six people were injured in two simultaneous grenade attacks suspected to have been carried out by Somali
Al-Shabaab in two border districts in Kenya' s northern region bordering the war-ravaged Somalia.
The attacks in Ifo 1 in
Dadaab refugee complex in
Garissa County and a hotel in
Wajir town occurred less than ten minutes of each at 1730 GMT and 1740 GMT local time.
In the Ifo attack assailants numbering five have hurled a hand grenade into a construction site in private primary school benefiting refugees children targeting non-Somali masonries, who were at the time rest inside one of the classes under constructions.
The twin attacks which has similar hallmarks, with previous attacks in the region which was claimed by the group, has shocked residents and troubled the Kenya security machineries which is claiming a victory against Al-Shabaab in neighboring Somalia after the fall of the Afgooye to allied soldiers two days ago, a town believed to be the last foothold of the resistant group.
Regional police commander Leo Nyongesa confirmed that suspected members of the militant group hurled two grenades at Horseed primary school in Ifo, one of the three refugee camps in Northern Kenya, injuring five laborers who were at the time preparing supper in one of the classes under constructions.
"Assailants of unknown number have thrown two hand grenades into the primary school run by African Development Emergency Organization (ADEO) funded by UNHCR, injuring five masonries who were involved in the construction work," he told Xinhua by telephone.
Nyongesa said the five casualties were rushed to Ifo main hospital for treatment, noting that two of the five sustained heavy injuries while the three others escaped with minor injuries.
The school Principal Farah Gabay told Xinhua that the injured persons were all non-Somali construction laborious from other parts of the country working with a local construction company called
Modogashe constructions limited.
He said the impact of the blast destroyed one of the eight classes under construction.
According to an eye witness, two people threw the hand grenade to the five who were busy finishing the day's work on Saturday night.
"We only saw two people running as they headed towards the nearby houses, this was immediately after the blast, on reaching there we saw the five wailing in pain as they bled profusely and a few meters from where they were lay the grenade," a refugee at the
Ifo camp who did not want to be named told Xinhua.
In the Wajir attack, suspect Al-Shabaab assailant hurled a hand grenade into a popular Dubai Lodge in the main street of the town and injured seriously a man who was a reveler at the hotel.
Eye witnesses said those behind the attack were not sure of themselves and threw it cowardly and therefore did not hit their targets which was a big crowd that was busy watching the 7 p.m. news bulletin.
"They were aiming at a big crowd which was busy watching the 7 p.m. live bulletin, we only heard a commotion of people running outside immediately after the incident," said one of the lucky survivors who was also in the hotel.
Nyongesa who confirmed the two incidents said that investigations have been launched and promised to get to the bottom of the two incidents.
Nyongesa said four people believed to those behind the soaring incidents of
Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and hand grenades attacks in the region and mainly in the refugee complex, were arrested by the police on Saturday.
He said the suspects are helping the security personnel in unravel the mastermind and break into the Al-Shabaab operative cells.
The East African nation has also been plagued by a spate of grenade and landmine attacks in its northern region where the insurgents have killed more than 15 police officers and over 30 civilians.
Since the Kenya military incursion into Somalia several attacks believed to have been carried out by Al-Shabaab have occurred in Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa and Dadaab districts of northern Kenya even as the military reports gains against the militant group by capturing their military bases and killing scores of them.
Kenya blames the group for a string of attacks and kidnappings in Kenya, including those of four Europeans. The Kenyan government says the kidnappings threaten tourism, a key source of revenue for the country.
Somalia has been unfortunate for at least two decades during which time warlords and all other merchants of violence have devastated the country's human existence.
Al-Shabaab has been fighting since 2008 to topple Somalia's weak central government. The group has ties to al Qaida, and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
Kenya accuses the al Qaida-linked group, which controls much of central and southern Somalia, of a spate of abductions from its territory-charges denied by the militants.
Al-Shabaab has said it views the presence of Kenyan troops in southern Somalia as an act of war.
from XINHUA
Editor: Mu Xuequan
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