Seven police officers injured in Mandera IED attack
Out of the seven officers on board, six sustained various injuries to the hand, leg, chest, forehead and eye, while one officer escaped unharmed. All the injured officers were evacuated to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Seven police officers were injured early Tuesday morning after their patrol vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Gadudia-Laga Road in Mandera East, near the Kenya-Somalia border.
The officers were travelling from Bambo towards Mandera town when the blast occurred at around 1:00 am between Aresa and Khalalio, roughly four kilometres west of Mandera Police Station. The explosion severely damaged the rear of the vehicle, which bore the registration GKB 885W.
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Out of the seven officers on board, six sustained various injuries to the hand, leg, chest, forehead and eye, while one officer escaped unharmed. All the injured officers were evacuated to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Police said the area has been relatively calm in recent months but remains vulnerable due to its proximity to the porous border, which militants from Somalia have exploited in the past.
"The officers were on routine patrol when their vehicle ran over an IED," read a police report. Multi-agency security teams were later deployed to the area to pursue the attackers.
National Police Service spokesperson Michael Muchiri said more operations are being rolled out to address growing threats in the region. “We continue to face these cowardly attacks despite ongoing efforts. But we are not relenting,” he said.
He added that such attacks by militants have disrupted development efforts and continue to pose a major challenge to stability in the area.
In a separate incident in Wajir County, two people, including a senior chief, were shot dead in a shocking dawn attack at their home in Qarsa Location. Police said the killing is suspected to be linked to a family dispute.
According to reports, armed men stormed the home of Senior Chief Adow Ali and demanded he come outside, and when he declined, they hurled a grenade into the house before dragging him out and shooting him three times. The attackers then moved to a nearby homestead where they shot dead his cousin, Noor Gathuf.
Authorities described the killing as a heinous act and have launched investigations. Local leaders said the chief was known for promoting peace and spearheading development initiatives in the area.
Qarsa town, a normally quiet and tight-knit community, has rarely experienced such violent incidents. Security has since been tightened in the area as police continue their investigations.
The regional governor’s office issued a statement expressing condolences to the bereaved families and vowed to ensure those behind the killings are brought to justice.
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