Four Somali pupils from Saretho Primary school, were killed by Harakat Al shabaab Al Mujahideen (HSM) in a dawn attack at Saretho village. Saretho is located in Abakeile area of Dadaab, Garissa County.
Police officers stationed at Saretho were able to repulse the attackers killing two jihadists as well as recovering an assortment of weapons as well as IED making materials. Police have said that they are in pursuit of the wounded militants and their collaborators and have urged for assistance in netting them.
Intelligence indicates that the young pupils had sought refuge at the nearby Saretho police post when the attacks began and were being guarded by the police. The four were killed after the terrorists fired at them, killing them instantly and wounding two of their school mates. The militants also partially damaged a BTS communication mast before they were repulsed by Police from Saretho Police.
Al-Shabaab terrorist attacks in the Northern prefecture especially in Fafi and Hulugho areas of Garissa County are led by one Maulid Bilal. Bilal is a Kenyan Ogaden from Abdalla Abdi Karim sub-clan, Hulugho Sub-County in Garissa County. Bilal was formerly a Madrassa teacher at Tumtish and Garabey where he recruited some of his students and Ogaden clansmen into the HSM terror group. Bilal exploits his familiarity with the region and community to orchestrate attacks in the Hulugho vicinity.
Garissa residents have withstood the barbaric attacks from terrorist militia and their sympathizers who have previously attempted to paralyze the area’s economy by sporadically targeting schools, communication masts, health facilities, and other critical infrastructure.
The security agencies in Garissa County have launched a massive operation in response to the growing number of attacks by al Shabaab. intelligence indicate that they are closing in on an Al-Shabaab leader within Dadaab who is said to be coordinating most of the Al-Shabaab attacks in the region.
While the HSM has often claimed that it is fighting on behalf of Muslims, an analysis of its activities shows that most of the victims of its attacks have been Muslims living within Somalia and Kenya’s North Eastern region, who have suffered the loss of lives, property.
