GARISSA, Kenya, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Al-Shabab militants early Saturday stormed a police camp in Kenya's border region with Somalia and escaped with looted firearms and ammunition.
Regional government officials and residents confirmed the incident at the Rural Border Patrol Unit (RBPU) police post in Yumbis, Garissa County, northeast Kenya, saying the attackers also destroyed a telecoms mast, completely cutting off communication in the area.
Garissa County Commissioner Meru Mwangi confirmed the incident but did not divulge more details on the attack.
According to residents, the militants struck at around midnight, shooting indiscriminately.
"They looked very well organized and seemed to understand the area very well," said a local who did not want to be identified. "While some were busy shooting in the air, others were busy destroying the mast as others torched the police camp. In was total pandemonium that lasted close to 30 minutes."
Militants usually destroy telecommunication mast to disrupt police response and communication in the area before they could inflict harm on locals.
The police camp had about 20 officers, and a senior police officer confirmed that all of them were accounted for.
The incident came just a week after seven police officers died in an improvised explosive device attack in neighboring Wajir County.
The last three weeks have seen heightened activities by al-Shabab militants in northeast Kenya. The militants attacked border towns before escaping back to Somalia.
