Police have recovered two AK-47 rifles linked to the murder of two National Police Reservists in Igembe, Meru County, on April 7.

A joint operation on Saturday led by the detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and officers from Kipsing General Service Unit (GSU) recovered the rifles, with empty magazines, at Lemorijo village, Lengurma in Isiolo North Sub-county. On April 7, three reservists were shot dead by armed raiders at Mea in Igembe North and detectives launched investigations into the attack that led to the recovery of the rifles believed to have been used during the attack.

The attackers also stole 87 cattle, 22 goats and seven donkeys and several other reservists were also injured, according to Meru County Commissioner Jacob Ouma.

“This breakthrough was made possible through collaboration between our elite teams, members of the public, the local administration and DCI Igembe North who has taken over investigations as the case remains under probe,” the DCI said.

Detectives, including officers from the Crime Scene Investigations have also launched an operation to arrest the gang behind the shooting. In the last one year, herders from Meru have been attacked by bandits and have called on the government to flush out these bandits.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said a joint security operation involving the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) would be set to deal with the bandits operating in Meru, Isiolo, Laikipia Noth and Samburu East.

“We will set up an operation base in Kirimon Laikipia to resolve the problem in Mukogodo forest where the bandits have been hiding. The KDF will lead the operation,” Murkomen said recently.

Cattle rustling cases

 Meanwhile, police in Baragoi, Samburu County recovered 36 goats and 42 sheep that had been in the area. The animals were recovered within Naturkan Village, Nachola sub Location, after the bandits ran away on seeing the security officers.

The recovered stock were positively identified by the owner and escorted to Baragoi police station for proper handing over. Cases of cattle rustling have been persistent in the area amid an operation to tame the trend.

Several reservists have been killed by bandits or terrorists in the last few months. On March 24, for example, suspected al Shabaab militants shot dead a reservist in Iresuki village Mandera county on Monday.

Reports indicate that the NPR had given prior intelligence of the planned attack but the security agencies did not act in good time, leading to the attack that came just a day after the militants overran an NPR camp in Fafi, Garissa county and killed six people.

Officials said approximately 30 armed militants raided the village on Monday around 5am and engaged the NPR officers in heavy gunfire