ISIOLO, Kenya, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least five people, including two police officers, were killed on Wednesday in an ambush in the Gotu area of Isiolo County in eastern Kenya.
Eastern Regional Police Commander Stephen Chebet confirmed that the victims were ambushed by gunmen in the morning while participating in a tactical operation to track and recover stolen livestock.
Chebet said the attackers fled the area before security reinforcements arrived.
A team has arrived at the scene to coordinate the immediate response, calm public concerns, and address growing calls from the local community for stronger government action against banditry along the regional borders.
"We are on the ground trying to track the attackers. We will sustain this operation," he said by phone.
Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo described the loss of lives as "deeply saddening and unacceptable."
Guyo noted that persistent bandit attacks continue to instill fear among residents, severely disrupt pastoralist livelihoods and undermine long-term peace in communities along the volatile border corridors.
The latest ambush followed a separate cattle-rustling attack on Tuesday in neighboring Igembe Central, Meru County, where armed raiders shot and killed a local herdsman.
Police reported that the assailants stole more than 120 head of cattle during the raid, while another herder sustained a gunshot wound to the left knee.
The consecutive incidents highlight the volatile security situation along the Meru-Isiolo border, where armed rustlers continue to target pastoralist communities, resulting in casualties and disrupting local livelihoods. ■
