MANDERA, Kenya, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Suspected Al-Shabaab militants destroyed a communication mast in Dabacity area in Mandera county of northeast Kenya on Tuesday night, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Regional government official Mohamud Saleh said the militants were however repulsed and escaped towards to Somalia border. He said no one was injured during the attack.
Saleh downplayed the attack, saying the militants had attempted to attack the communication mast to cut telecommunication services in the area before they could carry out terror attack in the restive region.
The attack comes two days after the militants killed two military personnel in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Damasa area. The terrorists also engaged the military personnel in a shootout before escaping.
Three others were injured in the explosion that badly damaged the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) that was racing on the road.
Security personnel in the area said the Improvised Explosive Device had been set up by Al-Shabaab militants who are roaming there.
Residents said the Tuesday's night attack led to a fierce gunfight that lasted several hours. Saleh said the attackers were in three groups when they launched the attack.
"Those who attacked the telecommunication mast were repulsed by security officers manning the facility," he said. The mast had just been upgraded to 3G for the election purposes.
The Al-Shabaab have in the recent past attacked communication masts in bid to cut police from immediate response.
The Somali militants have been targeting military and police vehicles either by laying an ambush or planting explosives on the road in northeast region especially in Mandera and Garissa counties.
A number of security personnel have died as a result of the attacks some that include IEDs placed on roadsides by Al-Shabaab militants.
