By Horn Africa News
Garissa – At least eight Kenyan police officers were injured on Tuesday afternoon, August 5, when their armored vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) near Banane-Yumbis, a remote area in Garissa County, northeastern Kenya, police officials have confirmed.
The officers, who are part of the Border Patrol Unit, were traveling in a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle when the explosion occurred. The blast caused significant damage to the vehicle and left several officers seriously wounded.
Sources told Horm Africa News that the explosion was followed by a fierce gunfight, believed to have been launched by Al-Shabaab militants, who ambushed the officers shortly after the blast.
Additional security forces were dispatched to the scene to assist the wounded and provide backup. The injured officers were initially taken to a local medical facility, but those with more severe injuries were later airlifted to Nairobi for specialized treatment.
Police confirmed that the attackers fled the area and are believed to be hiding in the surrounding Garissa wilderness, an area where Al-Shabaab has previously operated.
Security operations are ongoing in the region to track down the perpetrators.
The spokesperson for the National Police Service, Michael Muchiri, stated that heightened security measures are being implemented along the Kenya-Somalia border to counter the threat posed by Al-Shabaab.
“While the frequency of Al-Shabaab attacks in northeastern Kenya has declined in recent months,” Muchiri said, “we are intensifying efforts to eliminate any remaining threats and protect the progress made in the region.”
Kenya has been a frequent target of Al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based extremist group that has exploited years of instability and conflict in Somalia to carry out cross-border attacks. Garissa and other border counties have borne the brunt of such violence, often targeting security personnel and public infrastructure.
The incident underscores the ongoing security challenges in Kenya’s border regions, despite sustained counterterrorism efforts by national forces.
