Camel shot dead at KDF-guarded construction site in Mandera county

Officials are investigating an incident where a stray camel was shot dead following a security scare at a military-guarded construction site in Rhamu, Mandera county.

A sentry personnel from the Kenya Defence Forces used a submachine gun to shoot and kill the camel that 'ignored' a stop order, witnesses said.

It is not clear if the animal was accompanied by human beings.

Police and military said the incident occurred on the night of April 3 at around 11.15 pm but was formally reported the following morning by officials of a  KDF platoon stationed at a Chinese construction site in Towfiq area.

Officials said a sentry manning a post within the camp detected suspicious, unannounced movement about 50 metres from the main entrance.

Due to poor visibility, the sentry issued a challenge using the designated password, but received no response. This is meant to ensure anyone approaching the place is known or is not an enemy.

A number of such camps have in the past come under attack by gunmen at night which has forced officials to design identification methods for their own safety.

Per standard security protocol, according to officials, the personnel fired warning shots using personal weapons.

When the movement persisted, they escalated the response by discharging several bursts from an M240B machine gun.

After the area was cleared and secured, officers discovered that the “intruder” was in fact a stray camel, which had been fatally shot, witnesses said.

The animal’s carcass was found lying about 10 metres from the main gate, with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Police and the military visited the scene, processed and documented the scene for further analysis. Authorities confirmed that the owner of the camel has not yet been identified.

No human casualties or further security threats were reported. Investigations remain ongoing, primarily to trace the animal’s owner, police and the military said.

Meanwhile, KDF personnel on patrol came into an attack by gunmen in Kiunga, Lamu county.

Officials aware of the incident said it happened on April 7 morning as a contingent on patrol from Sankuri was ambushed by gunmen believed to be members of the al Shabaab terror group.

The group operates within the expansive Boni Forest which stretches to Somalia.

The military team had arrived in Kwa Mbithi area along Kiunga-Sankuri road when they came under attack. The gunmen fired from their rifles which was followed by a rocket propelled grenade. This forced the personnel to take cover as they fought back.

No injuries were reported and the gunmen vanished into a thicket amid heavy gunfire, officials said.

More personnel were sent to the area to comb it for the better part of the day.

The area is near the Kenya-Somalia border which is breached by the al Shabaab terror group.

KDF is part of a multi-agency team in operation within the area. 

The terrorists cross the border and stage attacks on Kenyan security personnel. Kenya has been staging operations to tame their activities.

Many believe some of these incidents happen out of help by locals and some insiders.

Somalia has not had an effective central government since the 1991 overthrow of President Siad Barre's military regime, which ushered in more than two decades of anarchy and conflict in a country deeply divided along clan lines.

Kenya launched Operation Linda Nchi on October 14, 2011, after gunmen seized tourists at the Coast, which the government saw as a threat to the country's sovereignty.