Tension is high in Mangai village, Lamu County, after about 100 armed men, believed to be al Shabaab militants, raided the area on the evening of March 15.
The gunmen, who reportedly crossed from Somalia through the porous border into the expansive Boni Forest, gathered villagers and conducted a 30-minute lecture on the importance of adhering to Islamic teachings.
According to local residents, the militants introduced themselves as members of the outlawed group and took advantage of the holy month of Ramadan to promote their extremist ideology. They warned villagers against cooperating with the government and urged them to keep silent about the incident.
Lamu County Commissioner Wesley Koech confirmed that no casualties were reported during the raid. Before leaving, the militants handed out dates to the villagers—a tactic they have employed in previous incursions.
Police investigations revealed that the attackers had first scoped out the nearby Mangai Border Patrol Unit camp, located about 80 kilometers from the village.
The gang split into two groups, with one group monitoring the camp while the other entered the village to carry out their mission. Witnesses noted that the gunmen were mostly hooded and armed with AK-47 rifles.
A joint security team was dispatched on Sunday to the area in an effort to flush out the militants and restore calm in the region.
