At least eight police officers were killed on Tuesday when their vehicle ran over an Improvised Explosive Device at the border of Lamu and Garissa counties. The officers belonged to the special forces unit and were on a routine patrol. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks in the North, which Al-Shabaab militants have targeted security personnel. The authorities have yet to establish the identities of the victims because of the severity of the explosion. The vehicle was also destroyed beyond recognition. The surge in Al-Shabaab attacks in the North Eastern and Coastal regions in recent weeks has resulted in deaths and injuries.
Furthermore, in another separate attack, suspected Al Shabaab militants attacked security officers in a near Mararani using a rocket propelled grenade. Earlier the same day, three people suffered injuries when suspected militants sprayed bullets on a Mandera-bound bus in Wajir. However, the bus driver drove away from the scene, saving the passengers.
On June 7, seven police officers were injured, with some suffering injuries to the head, neck, and chest when their armored Land Rover vehicle was hit by an IED while traveling along the Elwak-Alungu road in Mandera South. The police reports suggested that the IED had been strategically placed on the left side of the road. Al-Shabaab militants are suspected of orchestrating the attack. The officers had made a trip to Elwak to refuel their vehicle before the incident took place.
