Five Kenyan security officers were killed on Tuesday after their patrol vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Alungu Main Supply Route in Lafey Sub-County, Mandera County, in an attack authorities suspect was carried out by Al-Shabaab militants.
According to police reports, the officers were travelling in a vehicle belonging to the Special Operations Group (SOG) when it hit an IED believed to have been planted along the road days earlier. The explosion destroyed the vehicle, killing four SOG officers and one National Police Reservist (NPR).
Following the explosion, a Quick Reaction Force (QRF) was dispatched to reinforce the team and secure the area. However, the responding officers also encountered a second roadside bomb after their vehicle struck another IED along the same route.
Police said the second explosion damaged the QRF vehicle but did not result in any fatalities or injuries among the responding officers.
The National Police Service said suspected attackers fled into nearby bushland after the explosions, prompting security agencies to launch a search operation in the area. Several officers who survived the initial blast sustained injuries and were airlifted to Nairobi for specialized medical treatment.
The Deputy Inspector General of the Administration Police Service, Gilbert Masengeli, later visited the injured officers in hospital. According to the National Police Service, Masengeli commended the officers for their service under difficult operational conditions and wished them a speedy recovery.
The attack is among the deadliest incidents involving Kenyan security personnel in the North Eastern region in recent months and highlights the continued threat posed by roadside explosives targeting security patrols.
Mandera County, particularly areas bordering Somalia, has experienced repeated attacks linked to suspected Al-Shabaab militants. The group has frequently used improvised explosive devices and ambushes to target security convoys, police camps and vehicles operating along supply routes near the Kenya–Somalia border.
Kenyan security agencies have maintained heightened operations in Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and Lamu counties, where attacks attributed to Al-Shabaab continue to pose security challenges.
The Alungu Main Supply Route has previously been identified as one of the roads vulnerable to roadside bomb attacks because of its proximity to the porous Kenya–Somalia border. Security operations remained ongoing in Lafey Sub-County as investigators worked to secure the scene, recover evidence and pursue those responsible for the attack.
The National Police Service has not released the identities of the officers who died, pending notification of their families.