Five Kenyan security personnel, including four members of the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) and one officer from the National Police Reserve (NPR), were killed on Tuesday after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) before coming under attack from suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Mandera County, near the Somalia border.
According to Kenyan security officials, the attack occurred in the El-Raamo area of Kutulo along the Alungu Main Supply Route (MSR), a corridor frequently targeted by militants operating near the Kenya–Somalia frontier.
Security sources said the roadside bomb had reportedly been planted on July 21, with the attackers waiting for the patrol before launching the coordinated assault.
Following the explosion, a fierce gun battle erupted between the security team and the militants. Four SOG officers and one NPR officer were killed during the exchange.
Additional security forces were later deployed to secure the area, recover the victims, and launch a manhunt for those responsible.
The latest attack underscores the persistent security threat posed by Al-Shabaab along Kenya’s northeastern border despite sustained counterterrorism operations by Kenyan security forces.
Mandera County has repeatedly been targeted by the group, with attacks frequently directed at security personnel, public transport, telecommunications infrastructure, and civilian facilities.
Earlier this month, Kenyan authorities announced that security forces had killed 11 suspected Al-Shabaab fighters during an intelligence-led operation in Mandera as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt the group’s cross-border activities.
The latest incident comes only days after suspected Al-Shabaab militants attacked a Safaricom telecommunications mast at a school compound in Abakaile village, Dadaab, Garissa County, close to the Somalia border.
The attack caused panic among residents and teachers, although authorities said no casualties were reported and the communications infrastructure sustained only limited damage.
Police said a joint team from the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Police Reserve responded to the scene after receiving reports of the attack in the early hours of the morning.
Preliminary investigations indicated the attackers had partially damaged part of the mast’s perimeter structure before fleeing.
The communications tower attack followed another attempted assault on Arabia Police Station in Mandera, where approximately eight suspected Al-Shabaab fighters reportedly fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and small arms at the facility.
Security officers returned heavy fire, forcing the attackers to retreat. Police later confirmed that all personnel at the station were accounted for and no casualties were reported.
The string of attacks highlights Al-Shabaab’s continued ability to launch cross-border operations despite intensified security measures by Kenyan authorities.
Kenya has maintained troops inside Somalia since October 2011, when it launched military operations against Al-Shabaab following a series of cross-border kidnappings and attacks before later integrating its forces into successive African Union peace support missions, now operating under AUSSOM.