Two Kenyan soldiers killed in friendly fire in Mandera

[Deeq A.]

Two Kenya Defence Force (KDF) soldiers were killed Wednesday evening in Mandera County during a brief gun battle with police officers.

The shootout between the forces at Sheikh Barrow village was described as “friendly fire”.

Mohamed Barre, a military officer at Mandera camp said the KDF soldiers were conducting operations between Lafey and Arabia towns when they came under attack.

“The officers were carrying out operation before engaging in gun battle with Administrative police officers who travelling along Lafay and Arabia road. Two KDF were killed and five sustained injuries. The injuries and the bodies of fallen soldiers were brought here at the camp,” said Barre who spoke to Hiiraan Online.

Nguyo Wambua, the officer in charge of Rural Border Patrol Unit (RBPU) said the two KDF officers were killed by soldiers attached to the unit after KDF soldiers who mistook RBPU officers for bandits started fighting.

“We cannot understand how the KDF officers mistook our team for armed bandits because they were in a known camp complete with government vehicles which could be identified,” said Wambua who spoke to Kenyan Media.

It is the first such accident reported since Kenya declared war against Al-Shabaab.

Kenyan forces have been recently carrying out security operations to pursue Al-Shabaab forces alongside the border with Somalia.

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