The police post that was attacked last week by Al-Shabaab militia. They left a trail of destruction in their wake. [Photo/Standard]
Al-Shabaab's attack on Ijara town last week has affected operations in the Northeastern town and by extent region, with many non-local residents fleeing the area.
Over 50 militants attacked Ijara, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake, destroying property of unknown value.
They also torched a police camp, and destroyed communication musts, cutting off communication to other areas.
The attack sent a cold shiver on local residents as well, and now nurses attached to most facilities in the area are fleeing for their safety, with fears still lingering that teachers might follow suit.
Local leaders led by Ijara MP Sophia Noor visited the area and expressed concern that insecurity has forced many professionals to leave the area.
“We are calling for immediate action so that all our children can go to school and teachers will be there to attend to them,” she said.
The attackers further broke into shops, stealing and looting goods, which they loaded into a police and before speeding off.
The Ijara town and other nearest town are currently without communication, with the leaders pleading with Safaricom to help fix the problem as soon as possible.
They have also called of the training of more police reservists as one way of ensuring there is more security in the area.
“We are requesting the government and mostly the IG to give resources so that the KPRs can be trained and also have people from this area who can help the security personnel,” added Noor.
Security has been beefed up since the attack, with police calling on locals to help the police.