Mandera, Kenya – A Kenyan woman was wounded by a stray bullet last Thursday during a gunfight between rival Somali security agencies in Bulla Hawa, a tense border town that directly faces Kenya’s Mandera County. The October 23 shootout reignited fears among residents on both sides of the frontier, where sporadic clashes have long disrupted the fragile peace.
Witnesses said heavy gunfire erupted in the afternoon after rival Somali forces exchanged fire over control of a security checkpoint. The fighting sent people fleeing for cover, with several stray bullets crossing into Kenyan territory. One of them struck a local woman who was tending to her small shop near the Mandera border post.
Kenyan authorities confirmed the woman was rushed to Mandera County Referral Hospital, where she is recovering in stable condition. Officials have since called for calm and heightened patrols along the border.
The Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has sought clarification from Somali authorities regarding the incident.
Tensions in Bulla Hawa have flared repeatedly in recent years as local and federal Somali security units vie for influence in the region. The latest confrontation underscores the ongoing instability near the frontier, where civilians often find themselves caught in the crossfire of political and territorial disputes.
Local leaders in Mandera have urged both governments to strengthen coordination and restore confidence among border communities.
As of Tuesday, calm had returned to the area, though security forces on both sides remained on high alert amid fears of renewed clashes.