By HAN News Desk
GARISSA — Two officers from Kenya’s Border Patrol Unit have been killed after their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by the militant group Al-Shabaab, according to police authorities.
The attack occurred along the Liboi–Kulan road in northern Kenya’s Garissa County, close to the Kenya–Somalia border — an area that has seen a surge in cross-border militant activity. The site lies roughly 370 kilometres (230 miles) northeast of the capital, Nairobi.
Police officials who spoke to the media said the militants detonated the roadside bomb as the officers were carrying out a routine security patrol near the border. The explosion ripped through their vehicle, killing both officers instantly and leaving the patrol car completely destroyed.
Security teams were immediately deployed to the scene to cordon off the area and launch an investigation. Images from the site show a mangled security vehicle, twisted metal scattered across the road, and a large crater believed to mark the spot where the explosive device was planted. Officers were also seen combing the wreckage for evidence.
Kenya has faced persistent attacks from Al-Shabaab since 2011, when it deployed troops to Somalia as part of the African Union’s mission — now operating under the African Union Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). The militant group has since repeatedly targeted Kenya’s border regions, security patrols, and remote police bases in an effort to pressure Nairobi into withdrawing its forces from Somalia.
The counties of Garissa, Mandera, and Wajir, which share long and porous borders with Somalia, remain the most affected. Analysts say Al-Shabaab exploits the open terrain, poor road networks, and limited state presence in these regions to stage attacks and plant roadside bombs.
Despite intensified border surveillance and counter-terror operations, Kenyan security authorities warn that Al-Shabaab continues to pose a serious and persistent threat, particularly through IED attacks that have claimed dozens of security personnel over the past decade.
