MANDERA, Kenya, A group of militants early Monday killed a police reservist in an attack on the northeastern Kenyan town of Mandera, along the border with Somalia.

The militants hurled four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at a bank, a hotel and Mandera county deputy governor’s residence within the town center during the 02:00 a.m. incident.

According to police reservists manning the town, there was an exchange of gunfire as the attackers tried to plant IEDs near business premises.

“After they (the militants) were engaged, they moved to the bank and threw an explosive which went off, before planting another one in an adjacent hotel which destroyed part of the boarding section,” said one of the revisits.

Mandera County Commissioner Fredrick Shisia said four explosions were heard during the attack in the town, where a 06:30 p.m. to 06:30 a.m. curfew is in place, imposed by the government after 18 people were killed by Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militants in November last year.

Mandera County Police Commander Bernard Nyakwaka said police reservist Abdirahman Mohamud, who was attached to the Mandera deputy governor’s residence, was shot dead when he confronted the about eight militants.

Nyakwaka said the gang escaped after being overpowered by security agents who responded to the scene.

A regional government official said the rear part of the targeted Equity Bank was completely destroyed as blocks fell down leaving the premise partly open.

He said police and Kenya Defence Forces were later deployed to guard and secure the bank.

Officers on the ground said the gang was also trying to plant IEDs at the Central Police Station and a residential house housing non-locals.

The attack is the first within Mandera town after the curfew was put in place. The curfew has been extended up to the end of March.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but suspicion is likely to fall on the Al-Shabaab extremist group.

Mandera county has suffered Al-Shabaab attacks, many of them targeted non-locals in the mainly Muslim region, in the past that has virtually crippled its economy.

Al-Shabaab has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Kenya in recent years.

Source: Xinhua