Authorities in Somalia have returned two rifles that were taken from a Kenyan police officer who was killed in an attack at a security post near the Kenya-Somalia border in Mandera County.
The weapons—a G3 and an AK47 rifle—were handed over to the Mandera security team on Saturday morning.
However, police noted that some ammunition was missing. While the rifles originally had a total of 90 bullets, only 10 were returned.
The handover came hours after gunmen, believed to be rogue members of a security agency in Somalia, allegedly carried out a deadly assault on Kenyan police officers at Border Point 4 in Mandera.
According to police reports, about 20 armed men ambushed five officers from the Border Police Unit on Friday, March 14.
During the attack, Constable Dennis Omari was shot and killed instantly, while another officer sustained a gunshot wound to the left arm.
The injured officer is receiving treatment at Mandera Referral Hospital and has since been airlifted to Nairobi for further medical care.
The attackers reportedly seized the slain officer’s G3 rifle, which held 60 bullets, and an AK47 rifle with 30 bullets before fleeing the scene.
Authorities suspect the attack may have been motivated by revenge.
According to preliminary investigations, the incident may be linked to the recent arrest of terror suspects allegedly involved in a failed abduction attempt targeting Chinese nationals working in Mandera.
Police believe the assault may have been coordinated by a relative of one of the arrested suspects, who is reportedly a officer at the agency.
Senior police officials have since visited the scene as part of ongoing investigations. Kenyan authorities have demanded the return of the firearms and the arrest of those responsible for the attack.
Shortly after these demands, Somali authorities informed their Kenyan counterparts that they had recovered the rifles and were prepared to return them.
However, the suspects believed to be behind the attack remain at large. Somalia’s military has reportedly launched a manhunt for those involved.
