Driver, Passenger Arrested over Wajir Bus Attack that Left 11 Dead

The driver of a Mandera-bound bus that was attacked by suspected Al-Shabaab militants on Friday evening has been arrested as investigations into the incident continue.

The driver was arrested alongside a passenger following the attack that left 11 people, including police officers, dead. Eight police officers, two civilians, and a doctor are among those who were killed while two other cops are still missing.

The Medina bus was headed to Mandera from Nairobi when armed attackers ambushed it between Kutulo and Wargadud area in Wajir County on Friday evening, Wajir County Police Commander Stephen Ng'etich said.

The assailants reportedly flagged down the bus and separated the passengers into two groups before shooting non-locals. When the attackers released the bus, the driver opted to turn back with the remaining passengers and drove to Kutulo Police Station.

Authorities said the arrested passenger kept using his phone throughout the journey prior to the attack and is set to be interrogated along with the driver. The bus is being held at Kutulo Police Station in while bodies recovered from the scene were taken to Wajir mortuary.