A Mombasa County enforcement officer was killed and three other officers were wounded when a group of armed men raided a cess collection checkpoint in Likoni, Mombasa, in the early hours of Monday morning, according to The Star, Kenya.
The assault took place at roughly 3.40 am along Barabara ya Mchanga, where county enforcement officers and two Administration Police officers were stationed at the collection point.
According to The Star, Kenya, the assailants took an AK-47 rifle carrying 30 rounds of ammunition from an Administration Police officer and then turned the weapon on the officers at the scene.
Why it matters
The killing puts fresh attention on the safety of officers who staff revenue collection points across Mombasa County, often in the small hours and with limited backup. It also leaves a military-style rifle and a full magazine in the hands of attackers who have not been identified, a recovery problem that will shape the police response in the coming days.
The Star, Kenya reports that the attack has revived unease about security in parts of Likoni, an area where residents have previously lived through violent incidents, some of which raised fears of a terrorism link. Police have not drawn any connection between Monday's raid and terrorism.
What police say happened
Mombasa County Police Commander Stella Cherono told The Star, Kenya that a probe is under way to identify the attackers and work out what drove them.
"One of our officers was injured, and a county enforcement officer was also attacked. Unfortunately, we lost one," Cherono said, according to The Star, Kenya.
She confirmed that three officers were being treated in hospital: one police officer and two county enforcement officers.
Witnesses described the assailants confronting the officers at the cess collection point before the encounter turned into a violent struggle, The Star, Kenya reports. Police are said to have fired several rounds into the air to try to scatter the group but were overpowered.
The Administration Police officer who lost his rifle suffered deep cuts to one hand and a gunshot wound to his left thigh. One county enforcement officer was badly cut on the head and right thigh. His colleague, Omari Mzerera, was struck in the back by a bullet that passed out through his chest, and police say the wound killed him. Another county enforcement officer came through the attack unhurt, according to the report.
The wounded officers were taken to Diani Beach Hospital. Mzerera's body was moved to the Coast General mortuary after a doctor confirmed he had died, The Star, Kenya reports.
Cherono said the precise size of the attacking group is not yet known, though early indications point to around five people.
"We want to establish the number of criminals who were there and what led to the attack. Our investigations will give us that information," she said, according to The Star, Kenya.
A rifle, a magazine and an open question
Officers attended the scene, where crime scene investigators recorded evidence as the inquiry got under way, The Star, Kenya reports. Recovering the stolen rifle and its ammunition is among the priorities for police hunting the attackers, and Cherono asked anyone holding information that could help the investigation to come forward.
Security in the area remained tense after the raid, with police expected to step up operations to find the weapon and arrest those involved.
The number of attackers, their identities and their reason for targeting a revenue checkpoint all remain unresolved. Watch for police updates on the manhunt and on whether the stolen AK-47 is recovered.
