DIG Gilbert Masengeli visited those injured in hospital in NairobiAt least 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.
The explosion happened before the team came under attack from suspected al-Shabaab militants, which also left some of the security officers injured, police authorities said.
The incident occurred in the El-Raamo area of Kutulo, along the Alungu Main Supply Route (MSR), near the Kenya-Somalia border, and was termed one of the deadliest in recent days.
According to the police, 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 gang had been sighted in the area in the past few weeks, prompting patrols that turned deadly.
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 team sent to rescue the first victims was demobilised after its armoured vehicle was hit by an IED, destroying it.
Police said the team was also attacked by the gunmen, who had been waiting.
This delayed the response. The gunmen escaped amid the gunfight.
The injured in the first attack were later flown to Nairobi.
Senior officials, led by Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service Gilbert Masengeli, visited them in the hospital where they had been admitted.
No other officers in the response team were 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.
On Sunday, the gang attacked a Safaricom telecommunications mast located within a school compound in Dadaab, Garissa County.
This gave an indication that 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 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 that none sustained injuries during the incident.
The attack comes amid heightened security operations in Garissa and other counties along Kenya’s border with Somalia, where security agencies have intensified efforts to protect critical infrastructure, public institutions, and civilians from al-Shabaab attacks.
The latest attack came after security officers stationed at Arabia Police Station in Mandera County repelled another suspected al-Shabaab assault on Friday night without suffering any casualties.
According to police, about eight suspected militants attacked the police camp in Arabia Sub-County from the south-eastern side, firing rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) before engaging officers with sustained heavy gunfire.
Officers on guard responded immediately and successfully repulsed the attackers. Police later confirmed that all personnel at the camp had been accounted for and that no officer was injured or killed.
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 integrated into the African Union peace support mission in Somalia as part of regional efforts to combat al-Shabaab.
