Kenya’s Special Operations Group foils Al-Shabaab IED plot in Garissa
According to the Counter Terrorism Policing unit, the incident occurred in the Welmerer-Yumbia area, where the militants were reportedly assembling IEDs when the SOG received timely intelligence from local community members.
Kenya’s elite Special Operations Group (SOG) has successfully prevented a terror attack in Garissa County after intercepting eight Al-Shabaab militants setting up explosives along a key road used by civilians and security personnel.
According to the Counter Terrorism Policing unit, the incident occurred in the Welmerer-Yumbia area, where the militants were reportedly assembling improvised explosive devices (IEDs) when the SOG received timely intelligence from local community members.
More To Read
- Djibouti to deploy more troops to Somalia to counter Al-Shabaab threat
- Somali intelligence kills Al-Shabaab leader Abdi Xiiray in major crackdown
- Somali court sentences woman to 15 years for laundering Sh155 million to Al-Shabaab
- KDF Special Forces kill five Al-Shabaab militants in Boni Forest operation
- Africa lagging in designating ISIL, al-Qaeda entities, UN expert reveals
- 11 Al-Shabaab militants, including senior leader, killed in airstrike
The officers quickly responded, engaging the suspects in a brief exchange before recovering several fully assembled IEDs.
The unit said the explosives were intended to target both civilians and security forces travelling along the Welmerer-Yumbis route.
“Our Elite Special Operations Group (SOG) stopped eight Al-Shabaab terrorists who were attempting to set up improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the Welmerer-Yumbia area in Garissa,” read the statement.
“The brave officers engaged the terrorists and managed to recover assembled IEDs, which were to be used to attack our mothers, children, and security officers using the Welmerer-Yumbis road.”
The SOG credited the local community for providing critical information that helped prevent the attack and urged continued vigilance to detect and disrupt future terror plots.
The successful intervention comes amid rising militant activity in the region, where security convoys and passenger vehicles have increasingly been targeted.
Security operations in the region have remained intense. In June, four suspected Al-Shabaab militants were neutralised in Garissa County following a drone-assisted operation.
Police reports confirmed that the militants were killed in Najo and Guracho, and officers recovered AK-47 rifles, a PKM machine gun, rounds of ammunition and communication equipment from the suspects.
In August, further operations in Lamu County saw at least five Al-Shabaab militants killed during an intelligence-led patrol in the Boni Forest. KDF officers noted that the terrorists were neutralised in Lacta Mangai, while others sustained injuries amid ongoing efforts to dismantle militant networks within the forested region.
The incidents highlight the persistent threat posed by Al-Shabaab in northern and coastal Kenya, as security forces continue to conduct operations to protect civilians and maintain stability.
Top Stories Today
