Somali-based al Qaeda-affiliated took siege of a mosque in Kamor Elle, Village in Mandera County of Kenya for five hours. The militants are said to have held the Mosque under siege for at least five hours according to local police and residents.
The militants raided the village as the residents were holding their Ramadan Taraweeh prayers. The al militants preached to the residents for the entire period as they attempted to radicalize the residents, rally support and get fresh recruits from the Kenyan village.
Kamor Elle lies between Lafey and Mandera town a few kilometers from the Somalia border and has experienced intense militant activities in the past.
Intelligence has indicated that the militants are experiencing a dire shortage of fighters and recruits seeing as numerous fighters have defected because of hardships in training camps in Somalia and neglect by the leadership. Thus, the siege can be viewed as an attempt to get recruits as well as radicalize Kenyans who have chosen to practice moderate Islam.
