NAIROBI, August 31 – Ten people were killed and six others wounded in yet another cattle raid in Turkana North district on Saturday.
Tension was high in the area on Sunday as contingents of heavily armed police officers pursued the raiders.
“It appeared they crossed over to Ethiopia but we are still pursuing them,” a senior police officer said.
Eight of those killed were area residents who were shot by cattle rustlers at about midday while the other two were raiders who were shot and seriously wounded during the confrontation.
Their bodies were discovered in a thicket on Sunday morning, police said.
Those wounded were admitted to the Turkana district hospital where two of them were treated and discharged.
“We have intensified security patrols in the region to avert more cattle raids, but we have not recovered the stolen animals,” said a police officer involved in the operation.
Cases of cattle raids to the North and North East of the Rift Valley have been rampant.
Two weeks ago, 11 people were killed and seven others wounded when bandits raided a remote village in Marsabit.
The raiders drove away 4,500 heads of cattle during the dawn raid in Moite village, Laisamis district.
Area Divisional Police Chief Francis Sang’ said 10 of those killed were herdsmen and residents who confronted the bandits to recover their animals.
“The raiders were heavily armed, they shot at residents and escaped with animals,” he said.
