Somali government officials have returned two weapons to the Kenyan government, which were taken from a Kenyan soldier killed during an attack on a border checkpoint located at the Kenya-Somalia border, specifically in Mandera.
The two firearms, a G3 rifle and an AK47, were handed over to Mandera’s security officials on the morning of Saturday, March 15, following the previous week’s clash.
However, Kenyan police reported that some of the accompanying ammunition was missing. Despite the two rifles initially carrying 90 rounds of ammunition, only 10 rounds were recovered.
The return of the weapons came just hours after an armed group, believed to be affiliated with Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), launched an assault on Kenyan forces stationed at Border Point 4 in Mandera.
According to a report from the Kenyan police, a group of 20 armed men ambushed five soldiers from the Border Police Unit on Friday, March 14. During the attack, one soldier was killed, and another was injured in the left hand. The injured soldier was initially treated at Mandera Referral Hospital and later transferred to Nairobi for further treatment.
This skirmish led to the closure of the Kenya-Somalia border area, with Kenyan troops securing the border between Mandera and Baladhawo. The next steps in response to this incident remain unclear.
