Tension remains high in the volatile Marsabit county after blood thirsty bandits raided Yell Kurkum village in Laisamis leaving a trail of death with eight people, among them three children massacred in cold blood.
Three others were injured during yesterday’s dusk attack.
Preliminary police investigations show the heavily armed attackers numbering around fifteen according to witnesses opened fire killing three children and five men.
Confirming the incident, Eastern police commander Rono Bunei said the bandits raided the sleepy village yesterday at 6pm.
“The bodies were discovered later on Thursday after an attack. They drove away with dozens of livestock and efforts are ongoing to trace them.” The police commander said.
The attackers made away with an unknown number of camels and goats.
Two of the injured are recuperating at the Marsabit County Referral Hospital while one of the victims is set to be airlifted to Nairobi for specialised treatment.
A multi-agency security team has since been deployed to pursue the attackers.
The attack comes despite the government having carried out a much publicised security operation which seems to have borne no fruits.
Besides Suguta Valley, Samburu and Laikipia, Marsabit is one of the volatile hotspots facing the existential threat of banditry attacks who have continued to rein terror in the area in what security analysts have attributed to a war economy.