Several injured as Al Shabaab launches attack in Mandera
Several injured as Al Shabaab launches attack in Mandera
At least six people were injured, one of them critically, after the vehicle they were travelling in struck a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) in what is suspected to be an Al Shabaab attack in Mandera County.
The incident occurred at about 6 p.m. on Thursday near Odole Village in Elwak Sub-County, according to preliminary reports.
The victims were travelling in a Toyota Land Cruiser along the busy Mandera–Elwak road when the explosion occurred.
The injured were rushed to Elwak Sub-County Referral Hospital for treatment. Medical officials said one of the victims remained in critical condition as of Friday morning.
Police have launched investigations into the incident but had not officially confirmed who was responsible.
Al Shabaab has intensified attacks along the country’s border with Somalia, carrying out at least 25 cross-border incidents in Mandera, Garissa, Wajir and Lamu counties this year.
Security analysts have linked the rise in attacks to ongoing military operations against the group in Somalia’s Jubaland region, which are believed to have pushed some fighters into Kenya.
Just over a week earlier, on July 28, five Kenyan security officers were killed after suspected Al Shabaab militants ambushed an elite Special Operations Group patrol near Wantey Dam in Mandera County.
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A reinforcement team responding to the attack later hit another hidden IED that destroyed its armoured vehicle.
In Garissa, militants killed four Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers in an IED attack before six National Police Reserve officers died in a subsequent ambush.
While in Lamu, two KDF soldiers were killed after their vehicle struck another roadside bomb.
Suspected militants also targeted civilians, opening fire on a passenger bus in Mandera in an apparent attempt to force it to stop in July.
The driver reportedly sped away on a punctured tyre, helping about 50 passengers escape unharmed.
The deteriorating security situation also prompted the United States to renew its travel advisory for parts of Kenya bordering Somalia, citing the continued threat of terrorism.
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