Friday May 25, 2018
By MANASE OTSIALO
Jamia Mosque in Mandera town on May 25, 2018. Suspected Al-Shabaab militants invaded a mosque at Kamor Haile some 25 kilometres from Mandera town on the Kenya-Somalia border and preached to the residents for about five hours. PHOTO | MANASE OTSIALO | NATION
Suspected Al-Shabaab militants invaded a mosque on the Kenya-Somalia border and preached to the residents for about five hours.
A
Mandera police report revealed an unknown number of heavily armed
militants arrived at Komor Haile mosque on Thursday at about 10pm and
left at around 2am.
A local resident who spoke to the Nation on condition of anonymity said the militants went to the chief’s home but did not find him.
“They
arrived when a sheikh was delivering a sermon, snatched the microphone
and ordered him to sit and listen. We were shocked,” said the local.
The
report at the police station said militants forced worshippers to
listen for hours to their tirade against the Kenya government, local
civil servants and security officials.
“It is Ramadhan and we go to the mosques at night for prayers and teachings,” said the local.
It is not clear if the militants arrived on foot or used vehicles.
“If they had vehicles then they were left far and used them to carry what they looted in local shops,” said the local.
Mandera County Commissioner Kutswa Olaka declined to comment on the raid.
Komor Haile is located between Koromey and Arabia in Mandera East Sub County.