Five Kenyan security officers, including four members of the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) and a National Police Reservist (NPR), were killed on Tuesday after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mandera County before coming under attack from suspected al-Shabaab militants.
The incident occurred in the El-Raamo area of Kutulo, along the Alungu Main Supply Route (MSR), near the Kenya-Somalia border.
According to security sources, the IED had allegedly been planted on July 21, with the militants lying in wait for a security patrol before launching the coordinated ambush.
The explosion was followed by a fierce exchange of gunfire between the Special Operations Group officers and the attackers. Four SOG officers and one National Police Reservist were killed during the attack.
A reinforcement sent to rescue the first victim was demobilized after their armored vehicle was hit by an IED destroying it. This delayed the response. Police said the team was also attacked by the gunmen who were waiting.
They however escaped. No other officers in the response team was injured, police said.
Security agencies have launched investigations into the incident as reinforcement teams were deployed to secure the area and pursue the attackers.
The attack underscores the persistent threat posed by al-Shabaab militants operating along Kenya’s porous border with Somalia despite sustained counterterrorism operations by Kenyan security forces.
Mandera County has witnessed repeated cross-border incursions targeting security personnel, communication infrastructure and public transport in recent years.
Earlier this month, Kenyan security forces reported killing 11 suspected Al-Shabaab militants during an intelligence-led operation in Mandera County as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt the group’s activities in the region.
On Sunday, the gang attacked a Safaricom telecommunications mast located within a school compound in Dadaab, Garissa County.
This gave an indication there were many attackers in the area.
The incident occurred at dawn in Abakaile village, near the porous Kenya-Somalia border, leaving teachers and residents shaken.
Police said a joint security team comprising officers from the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Police Reservists (NPR) reached the scene at about 4am after receiving reports of the attack.
Preliminary investigations established that the attackers partially damaged the metallic door of the Safaricom mast situated within the school compound.
There were no immediate reports of explosives being used or significant damage to the telecommunications infrastructure.
Authorities confirmed that all teachers at the school were accounted for and none sustained injuries during the incident.
