At least eight police officers were injured in an explosion that hit their
vehicle along Banabs-Yumbis Road in Garissa County, police authorities said.
The group was travelling in a police Mine
Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle in the area on the evening of
Tuesday, August 5, when the vehicle ran over an Improvised Explosive Device
(IED).
This was after the team from the Border Patrol Unit had been ambushed and
engaged in a shootout by gunmen believed to be members of the al-Shabaab
militia.
The attackers had laid an ambush and the IED.
A second Land Cruiser with more personnel
arrived at the scene to rescue the colleagues who had been trapped in the
damaged MRAP.
They were rescued from the burning vehicle and
rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.
They were later evacuated to a local hospital
for attention ahead of a planned further evacuation to Nairobi, officials said.
The attackers managed to escape the scene,
police said.
They also indicated the gang is still
in the area, which is known to be the main operating base for the terror group.
The area has been experiencing a fluctuating lull from attacks related to
al-Shabaab militants.
This is due to police operations in the region
at large.
The operations have managed to contain the
al-Shabaab attacks.
The area is near the porous Kenya–Somalia
border, which is usually breached by the militants.
Police said multi-agency teams had been
dispatched to the region to pursue the gangs planning more attacks.
National Police Service spokesman Michael
Muchiri said they are making more efforts to address the menace that has been
persistent despite operations to tame the same.
The terrorists have been attacking the area,
affecting development at large.
Somalia has not had a stable government for
decades, which has created room for the terror group to operate and cross into
Kenya for attacks.
Security agents have mounted operations in the
area in an effort to contain the terror-related attacks.
Officials say this has led to a reduction of
such incidents in general.
