(MENAFN) A series of synchronized cattle-rustling raids across upper eastern Kenya left seven people dead Saturday, including National Police Service reservists, as armed attackers struck multiple villages in a volatile border zone, officials confirmed.

The violence erupted approximately 270 kilometers northeast of Nairobi, targeting communities straddling the Meru–Isiolo county boundary—a region where neighboring populations share grazing land and longstanding tensions frequently ignite.

Meru County Commissioner Jacob Ouma briefed journalists Saturday, describing how gunmen unleashed nearly simultaneous assaults across several settlements. Civilians and reserve officers attempting to defend their communities were cut down in the coordinated strikes.

Additional victims sustained injuries as raiders made off with over 600 head of livestock during the brazen operation.

Charles Kamwibua, Meru County Peace and Herders Chairman, verified the death toll and revealed that two victims lost their lives while pursuing rustlers who had seized their animals during the pre-dawn onslaught.

Law enforcement and local defense units immediately launched pursuit operations, while backup forces rushed to fortify at-risk villages dotting the Meru–Isiolo borderlands.

Authorities analyzing the attacks believe the scope and synchronization point to a meticulously orchestrated campaign executed by armed factions with intimate knowledge of local geography.

Northern and upper eastern Kenya have endured persistent cattle-rustling crises for years, fueled by competition over scarce water and pasture resources. Criminal syndicates capitalize on poorly monitored borders to traffic stolen animals across county lines.

The Meru–Isiolo passage has witnessed recurring retaliatory violence, animal theft, and armed confrontations between competing groups, forcing authorities to launch intermittent crackdowns aimed at breaking the cycle of bloodshed.

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