IED attack leaves two police officers dead in Wajir, Kenya

WAJIR, Kenya - An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion left two Special Forces officers dead in Wajir East on Friday, police have confirmed.

Friday's attack also left seven other officers who were on regular patrol seriously injured, with four being in a critical condition, police said.

In a statement, police said the 4 pm local time explosion took place in Khorof-Arar, along the Kenya-Somalia border. The officers were attached to Kutulo Patrol base.

The statement read: “Today at around 1600hrs special forces officers attached to Kotulo Patrol base while on their way from Khorof-Arar to Kotulo onboard their camp Landcruiser was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).”

According to the police, four of the officers sustained head injuries and three others had back and chest bruises as a result of the explosion impact.

Thomas Ngeywa, the Wajir County Police boss, confirmed the Friday evening incident that comes in the wake of sustained attacks by Somalia-based terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

"I can confirm that our officers who were on a routine patrol were seriously injured after the vehicle they were traveling in hit an IED that had been planted along the route,"Ngeywa stated.

Wajir has been a soft target for the Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militants in recent months, recording the highest cases of terror-related incidents.

A fortnight ago, four construction workers were abducted by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Wajir. Their whereabouts still remain unknown.

One of the workers who fled from their militants said his colleagues were taken across the border. On Thursday, two businessmen were also kidnapped in Garissa County.

Early this month, suspected Al-Shabaab militants ambushed a Mandera-bound bus in Kutulo area, killing 11 passengers who were non-locals.

Cases of IED explosions in Wajir are common. In July 2019, seven police officers were killed after their vehicle ran over a roadside bomb.

To beef up security in the region, County Commissioner Jacob Narengo said this week, "we shall involve elders from across the border on security matters."

Already, cross-border meetings have been organized, which would see locals engaging security forces on matters pertaining to peace and stability.

The Al-Shabaab militants have been waging attacks across East Africa but their influence has been greatly weakened by security forces.

Special Forces from Kenya have suffered most casualties in Al-Shabaab attacks at the Northern Frontier Districts.

President Uhuru Kenyatta launched Modika barracks in Garissa County, which will now host the 6th battalion that will be responsible for keeping Kenya-Somalia border safe.

GAROWE ONLINE