Police in Meriti, Isiolo gunned down two suspected militants on Wednesday night after a fierce gun battle.

The police said they came across a group of armed militants riding on motorbikes while they were patrolling the Yamicha area before the miscreants launched an unprovoked attack on the officers.

According to a police report, the officers immediately responded in kind, marking the beginning of a heavy one-hour exchange of fire.

“Police officers, while on mobile patrol, found some motorcycles coming from the front and immediately the armed militia started firing at the police vehicle,” the police report read.

" Officers managed to disembark dashed down and responded effectively"

By the time calm returned and the thunderous blasts ceased, two militants had already been shot dead while their counterparts narrowly survived and made away on their motorbikes.

A fierce shootout ensued lasting for one hour and as a result, two unknown African male adults were fatally shot and others escaped on motorcycles," the police said.

The police recovered two AK-47 rifles, an empty magazine, 16 spent cartridges, a military bag, a mobile phone and a motorbike.

While in hot pursuit of the escaped militants, police discovered 30 illegal migrants of Ethiopian descent, aged between 18 and 28 years, hiding in the surrounding thickets as they were comping the area.

It is believed the militants were escorting illegal immigrants from Ethiopia into the country when they met the police.

The thirty illegal immigrants were put in police custody while the bodies of the fallen militants were moved to the Isiolo County Referral Hospital Mortuary.

Police are still in search of the escaped gun-totting militants.