Five Kenyan police officers were killed on Tuesday in a fierce ambush by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Lamu County, near the country’s volatile border with Somalia.
The deadly assault, which took place in Boni Forest on the north-east coast, targeted a special police unit that was trailing the jihadist group after intelligence reports indicated they were planning a large-scale attack around the area.
According to police reports, the officers from the Special Operations Group were on the second day of pursuit when they were ambushed by heavily armed militants, believed to be Al-Shabaab operatives. The ensuing gunfight left five officers dead and five others injured.
The wounded officers, members of the elite unit, were airlifted to a hospital in Nairobi, where they are currently receiving treatment. Their conditions were not immediately disclosed.
Police believe that the attackers were also injured but managed to escape into the dense forest, which is known to be an Al-Shabaab hideout.
This latest attack follows reports of Al-Shabaab visits to nearby villages in recent months, with locals describing hooded gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles delivering lectures on Islamic teachings and urging residents not to cooperate with authorities. Witnesses said the militants, who spent about 30 minutes in the villages, warned locals against reporting their presence.
In earlier incidents, the group has claimed responsibility for several high-profile attacks in Kenya, including the 2013 Westgate Mall siege in Nairobi and the 2015 Garissa University assault.
So now, security officials have urged residents to share information about the militants, emphasizing the need for community support to disrupt the group’s operations.
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