Four herdsmen on Tuesday were killed during an early morning attack in Isiolo South in a renewed clash between Borana and Somalis.
About 120 camels were driven away.
Armed Borana raiders allegedly descended on their Somali counterparts in sharifa’s Garbatula, killing the three herders.
The deceased were identified as Mohamed Ibrahim, 35, Mohamed Yunis, 32, and Daay Dagane, 37.
In a retaliatory attack, a Borana elder, Guyo Gobu, was killed and five others were injured.
Lagdera deputy county commissioner Philip Koima said authorities in Garissa are working closely with their counterparts in Isiolo to recover the stolen animals.
“Efforts are underway to recover the camels and pursue the people behind this heinous act,” he said on the phone.
Police have arrested a suspect identified as Abdirisack Omar. An AK47 rifle was recovered from him. He is expected to be arraigned on murder and livestock theft charges.
Political leaders in Lagdera have accused the government of failing to avert loss of life.
Lagdera MP Mohamed Hire claimed the government had intelligence about the impending attack but failed to act.
“They could have posted more security officers into the area to avert loss of life. It's unfortunate that the government is seemingly helpless,” Hire said.
The two communities of Boranas and Somalis from Isiolo have been embroiled in bloody border clashes for over a decade, with the government blaming illegal firearms on the wrong hands.
On June 14, five people, among them a one and a half year old girl, were killed. Several others were left nursing gunshot wounds when a fight between the two groups broke out in Quri – a grazing area in Garbatula, Isiolo county.
In May, two teenage herders were killed and one injured in El Digale on the border between Isiolo and Garissa.
The clashes have been blamed on politics and boundaries as well as fast depleting resources in the area.
