Kenyan troops have repelled alleged attacks by Al-Shabaab militants in Arabia Town in Mandera County after a heavy nighttime assault on their position.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The attacks, reported to have happened on the night of September 6, targeted soldiers stationed in the border town, sparking a fierce exchange of gunfire that lasted for hours in the dead of night.

Footage obtained by  Kenyans.co.ke on the incident captured massive flames and thick white smoke billowing from huts in Arabia Town in the middle of the night.

Additionally, loud sounds of gunfire echoed across the town, apparently from an intense exchange between Kenyan security forces and the suspected Al-Shabaab fighters.

📌 What You Need to Know

Arabia Town sits roughly 60 kilometres west of Mandera town, a remote settlement close to the contentious Kenya-Somalia border.

Local journalists told  Kenyans.co.ke that Kenyan security personnel stationed there managed to repel the heavily armed assailants after the prolonged gun battle that lasted hours.

Reports further confirmed that the gunfire has since ceased, with security teams now combing the area to assess the full extent of the aftermath.

Casualties have also been reported from the confrontation, though the exact numbers remain unclear as details continue trickling in from the ground.

Authorities are yet to release official details on casualties or the identity of the attackers, though the town suffered a similar assault just last month.

This year alone, the northern part of Kenya, especially Mandera County, has faced the perennial problem of Al-Shabaab militants carrying out repeated attacks. For instance, five Special Operations Group (SOG) officers were killed near Wantey Dam on July 28-29, with a reinforcement vehicle later bombed. Beforehand, a July 13 raid killed 11 militants, preempting a planned village assault.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke