Friday, September 19, 2014
WAJIR, Kenya-- At least eight people were injured in twin explosions on Thursday night in Kenya's northern town of Wajir in the latest attack in the restive region.
"In the first incident, the attackers hurled a grenade at a group of people who was having refreshments at local cafeteria in South C, injuring two people," Wajir County Police Commander David Kirui said on Friday.
The attackers hurled the second hand grenade ten minutes later after the customers who were seated flee out, injuring six others.
Kirui noted that the assailants were targeting to injure more people in the second attack.
"All they wanted was to harm more people who were running out after the first incident. But fortunately only a few were injured, " Kirui said. Among the injured are two Somalis.
Security forces were immediately deployed and are currently pursuing the attackers. Kirui said no arrest has been made so far.
Kenya Red Cross said seven injured have been evacuated to the Wajir Provincial Hospital while the other one has been admitted at the Samad Private hospital.
The attack in Wajir comes after another attack in neighboring Garissa town, in which a loader was shot dead and three others injured on Thursday morning.
Northern Kenya has bore the brunt of the attacks, with Mandera, Garissa, Wajir and Daadab experiencing increased grenade and bomb attacks.
Kenya's ministry of health notes that the rise in terror attacks has added burden to the nation's health system, which is already grappling with high number of road accidents and a surge in lifestyle diseases like cancer.