Four pupils were killed after suspected al-Shabaab fighters attacked their school in Garissa County on Tuesday morning.
The armed militants are said to have stormed Saretho Primary School at around 2 am and opened fire, killing four pupils and injuring two people. Authorities said the attackers also stormed Saretho Police Post with the aim of destroying a communication mast housed there but Kenyan police foiled the attack, killing two militants in the process.
“Officers manning the mast and the base together with Special Forces were able to repulse them,” police said.
Officers also recovered two assault rifles and bomb-making materials, said police spokesperson Charles Owino. Police identified Maulid Bilal as the ringleader of the al-Shabaab criminals behind the attack and who have been causing havoc in Fafi and Hulugho in Garissa.
Police said Bilal is a Kenyan Ogaden from Abdalla Abdi Karim sub-clan in Hulugho sub-county, Garissa County, and served as a Madrassa teacher at Tumtish and Garabey before joining al-Shabaab.
The US deployed more troops to Kenya to reinforce security after al-Shabaab on Sunday killed three Americans in an attack on a military base in Lamu used by American forces. Five attackers were killed during the 5.30 am raid that al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for.
