Security officials said four of the attackers were also killed during a fierce exchange. /FILE
At least six people were shot dead on Tuesday in a banditry attack in Illeret, Marsabit county, near the Kenya–Ethiopia border.
Police said the attack also left eight other people seriously injured.
The assailants are reported to have crossed into Kenya from Hamar villages in Ethiopia and targeted members of the Dasnach community in El-Anybura village, which lies along the border.
According to police and local officials, the attackers fled with about 500 cattle and more than 200 goats.
Dozens of other animals were shot and killed during the raid.
Security officials said four of the attackers were also killed during a fierce exchange as residents resisted the incursion.
The surviving assailants later escaped back into Ethiopia with the stolen livestock.
Security teams were deployed to the area on Wednesday to prevent possible retaliatory attacks and restore calm.
Officials said a delegation from Ethiopia crossed into Kenya for joint talks with Kenyan authorities, a move that helped ease tensions between the two sides.
Efforts were also launched to trace and recover the stolen livestock. Meanwhile, villagers began burial preparations for those killed in the attack.
The injured were taken to Bubua Health Centre in Ethiopia for treatment, officials said.
Illeret lies in a remote region where communities straddle both sides of the Kenya–Ethiopia border.
The area has for years experienced recurrent cross-border attacks linked to banditry and livestock theft, despite ongoing security operations.
The region is among those under Operation Maliza Uhalifu, a multi-agency security initiative aimed at tackling banditry and related crimes.
The operation covers several counties, including Baringo, West Pokot, Turkana, Samburu, Marsabit, Meru and Isiolo.
Authorities say the operation has helped reduce crime in some areas, though sporadic attacks continue to be reported.
Beyond security enforcement, the government has said it is pursuing long-term interventions focused on development and community empowerment.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has previously said the strategy includes encouraging communities to actively participate in the fight against livestock theft while engaging in lawful economic activities.
He said the government plans to distribute subsidised agricultural inputs and provide extension services to revive farming as an alternative source of livelihood, particularly in Kenya’s northern frontier and the Kerio Valley belt.