Al-Shabaab militants kill one police officer in Kenya

By Magdalene Mukami

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Somalia's al-Shabaab militants attacked a Kenyan police station and engaged security forces in a heavy gunfight on Thursday morning killing one police officer, officials said.

The attack happened in Mandera County which has witnessed numerous attacks due to its close proximity to the porous Kenya-Somalia border.

In the dawn attack that came hours after the militants had attacked a bus killing three people on Wednesday, police confirmed to local media that the attackers had torched two police vehicles before escaping in another.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the phone, Lafey Deputy County Commissioner Eric Oronyi said that there were at least 40 militants involved in the attack, which left a police sergeant dead.

Al-Shabaab militants had promised to carry out attacks in Kenya during the election period to disrupt the process.

Kenyans are set to go to the polls on August 8 to vote in a new government.