by Ingati Mangera and Nabukewa
MANDERA, Kenya, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Suspected Al-Shabaab militants on Monday hijacked three vehicles along a key road in Mandera County near the Kenya-Somalia border, a regional government official confirmed.
Mohamud Saleh said the vehicles which were targeted by the Islamist militants were civilian ones, noting that the incident took place along the restive Lafey-Omar Jillow road.
Saleh said he believed the attackers were Al-Shabaab militants who may have crossed border from neighboring Somalia.
He said no injuries were reported in the Monday afternoon incident. He added a team of security agents had been sent to the area to pursue the gang that is believed to have crossed to Somalia with the four wheel drive cars.
"Public service vehicles had passed through the same route earlier on. We don't know why they targeted these ones," he said. The same terrorists hijacked a vehicle belonging to a politician with its party colors and escaped with it last week.
The Al-Shabaab militants have changed tactics and resorted to using improvised explosive devices to carry out attacks in parts of Coast region and North Eastern, according to police.
The latest attack comes after the east African nation has announced the launch of a single multi-agency command center to respond to terrorist attacks and cases of violence during the elections period.
Meanwhile, a major power blackout hit parts of Lamu County in coastal Kenya on Monday, threatening to derail electoral body's preparations for Tuesday's general election.
Coast regional police boss Larry Kieng said electricity hitch took place when Al-Shabaab militia attacked an electric pylon near Nyongoro area on Monday morning.
Nyongoro is the same place where a Kipini Raha bus ferrying passengers from Malindi to Kipini was attacked by suspected militants last week.
Kieng said the police had engaged a gunfight with terrorists who set up an explosive device on the roadside hitting a lorry. Two people were injured in the incident.
"A lorry ran over an IED injuring two people who were on board," said Kieng.
Kenya Power County Manager Bernard Kataka said the pylon carrying over 220KV of electricity was hit by an explosive device at about 7.45 a.m..
The manager said efforts were being made to restore the power supply and that more than 16, 000 homes in the county are affected.
Although polling centers are using generators, electoral body's officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said the blackout will affect the set up of crucial equipment.
There has also been a delay in the distribution of election materials in the county due to security concerns.
Major routes in the area were blocked for hours as police pursued the attackers amid complaints by locals there was laxity among the security agencies.
The poll body has assured voters that they have made adequate arrangements for the Tuesday polls. Lamu has about 69,000 registered voters and 167 polling stations.
