A routine security patrol in Mandera turned deadly after suspected al-Shabaab militants launched a well-planned attack that killed five security officers, raising fresh concerns over the continued insecurity along Kenya's border with Somalia.
The officers, among them four members of the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) and one National Police Reservist (NPR), died on Tuesday after their vehicle hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the El-Raamo area of Kutulo along the Alungu Main Supply Route near the Kenya-Somalia border.
Police said the explosion was followed by an assault by suspected militants, leaving several other officers injured. The incident is among the deadliest attacks reported in the region in recent days.
Investigators believe the explosive device had been planted on July 21, with the attackers allegedly monitoring the area while waiting for a security patrol to pass before carrying out the ambush. The group had reportedly been spotted in the area in recent weeks, prompting heightened patrols.
Following the blast, SOG officers engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle. By the end of the confrontation, four SOG officers and one National Police Reservist had lost their lives.
A rescue team dispatched to assist the injured officers also came under attack after its armoured vehicle struck another IED. Police said the blast destroyed the vehicle before the team was engaged by gunmen who had been lying in wait, slowing the rescue operation as the attackers escaped during the exchange of fire.
The officers injured in the initial attack were later airlifted to Nairobi for specialised treatment. Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service Gilbert Masengeli led senior security officials in visiting the officers in hospital.
Police confirmed that none of the officers in the reinforcement team was injured.
Security agencies have since launched investigations while additional personnel have been deployed to secure the area and pursue those behind the attack.
The latest incident adds to growing security concerns in counties bordering Somalia, where suspected al-Shabaab militants have repeatedly targeted security officers, public transport and communication infrastructure despite ongoing security operations.
On Sunday, suspected militants targeted a Safaricom telecommunications mast located within a school compound in Abakaile village in Dadaab, Garissa County.
Police said officers responded to reports of the attack at about 4am and found that the metallic door of the mast had been partially damaged. Authorities said there were no immediate indications that explosives had been used and no major damage was reported to the telecommunications infrastructure.
All teachers at the school were accounted for and none was injured.
The incident came as security agencies intensified operations across Garissa and neighbouring border counties to protect critical infrastructure and public institutions from attacks.
Days earlier, officers based at Arabia Police Station in Mandera successfully repelled another suspected al-Shabaab attack.
According to police, about eight suspected militants attacked the camp from the south-eastern side using rocket-propelled grenades before opening sustained gunfire. Officers returned fire and repulsed the attackers, with all personnel later accounted for and no casualties reported.
Kenya deployed the Kenya Defence Forces into Somalia under Operation Linda Nchi on October 14, 2011, following a series of cross-border attacks and kidnappings that threatened the country's security and tourism sector. The operation was later incorporated into the African Union peace support mission in Somalia as part of regional efforts to combat al-Shabaab