Suspected al-Shabaab militants blow up construction equipment worth Ksh39.8M

Suspected al-Shabaab militants on Sunday 2:45am blew up road construction equipment estimated to cost Ksh39.8 million at Hagarsu area in Bida Sub-Location, Mandera East.

Police say the unknown number of gunmen stormed a site in which the equipment belonging to Abdullahi Khalif were being kept and activated an improvised explosive device.

Khalif, a road construction contractor, who was hired to repair the Arabia-Mandera Road, began work in September, 2019.

Upon the invasion of the site by the said-al Shabaab gunmen, two security guards stationed at the site ran away.

The militants, thereafter, blew up the following equipment: an excavator valued at Ksh20 million, flat roller machine whose worth is said to be Ksh9.5 million, a shift-foot roller valued at Ksh9.5 million and a pressure pump whose market price is Ksh800, 000.

The suspected terrorists escaped to an unknown destination after damaging the mentioned equipment.

At the scene, police recovered a Nokia mobile phone that had no battery, and a wallet which contained an identity card belonging to one Hassan Ahmed Muhumed. The ID card had the numbers: 30816028.