GARISSA, Kenya, July 27– Suspected al-Shabaab militants attacked a Safaricom telecommunications mast inside a school compound near the Somali border early Sunday, and no casualties were reported, according to police in Garissa County.
Police said the dawn attack in Abakaile, a village near the porous border with Somalia, left local teachers and residents shaken. Preliminary investigations revealed that the attackers partially damaged the metallic door of the Safaricom mast inside the school compound.
Police said there were no immediate signs that explosives had been used, and the telecommunications infrastructure sustained no significant damage. The al-Shabaab militant group has previously destroyed communication masts to disrupt local network coverage and hinder police response. “All the teachers have been accounted for without bodily harm,” police said in a security report. Security officers secured the area and said a full search and forensic examination of the scene would be conducted to assess the damage and collect evidence.
Police have not disclosed the number of attackers or confirmed whether the assault disrupted local communication services. The attack came amid heightened security operations in Garissa and other counties bordering Somalia, where security agencies have stepped up efforts to protect critical infrastructure, public institutions and civilians. The incident occurred just hours after security forces at the Arabia Police Station in Mandera County repelled a separate attack late Friday, with no casualties reported. Police said about eight suspected militants attacked the station from the southeast, firing rocket-propelled grenades before engaging officers in a heavy exchange of gunfire. The twin incidents underscore the persistent security threat posed by al-Shabaab along the Kenya-Somalia border despite ongoing counterterrorism efforts. Kenya first deployed troops to Somalia in October 2011 under Operation Linda Nchi following a surge in cross-border attacks. The mission was later integrated into the African Union peace support mission.
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