Four people have been seriously injured after being hit by stray bullets from Belet Hawa, a town in neighbouring Somalia, during a fierce exchange of fire between the Somalia National Army (SNA) and Jubbaland Special Forces.
According to Mandera County Commissioner Henry Ochako, the civilians were struck by live bullets that crossed into Kenya after missing their intended targets in Somalia. "Four of our people were hurt in an unfortunate turn of events after they were hit by stray bullets from Somalia's side following a fire exchange between SNA and Jubbaland Special Forces in the neighbouring town of Belet Hawa," Ochako said.
He added that the random shots fired during the clashes between the two Somali forces crossed the border and landed on Kenyan soil, hitting innocent residents.
Mandera's border regions, which host a number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who had fled violence along the Kenya-Somalia border, remain tense.
