A tragic terror attack has rocked Mandera County once again, leaving seven Kenyan police officers injured after their patrol vehicle was struck by a deadly improvised explosive device (IED) along the volatile Gadudia–Laga Road in Mandera East.
The explosion, which occurred on Tuesday between Aresa and Khalalio, just four kilometers west of Khalalio Police Station, ripped through the rear section of the police Land Cruiser (registration GKB 885W), violently halting the officers’ patrol mission.
According to a police report filed at Khalalio Police Station, the blast caused serious injuries to six of the seven officers on board. The wounded officers suffered trauma to the legs, hands, forehead, chest, and eyes, while one officer miraculously escaped without injury.
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All injured officers were swiftly transported to Khalalio Health Centre for urgent medical treatment. The severity of their conditions and identities remain undisclosed as of now.
The Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) has since taken over the investigation. A comprehensive progress report is expected soon as a multi-agency police task force has been dispatched to pursue the suspected militants behind the attack.
This incident is yet another grim reminder of the mounting insecurity in Kenya’s North Eastern region, particularly near the porous border with Somalia, a known hotbed for terror cells such as Al-Shabaab. The region has endured numerous ambushes, landmine attacks, and targeted killings, all attributed to cross-border insurgents.
Only two months earlier, on May 8, a similar IED attack occurred in Daadab, Garissa County, where three officers narrowly escaped death.
That blast, too, was orchestrated by suspected militants who had strategically buried the device in a dugout within the road. Garissa County Commissioner Naftali Koojo confirmed the attack happened at around 6 a.m. and reaffirmed that security agencies remain on high alert.
Videos and images from the Garissa incident revealed a disturbing pattern: increasing use of roadside explosives to ambush officers patrolling Kenya’s borderlands. During the May attack, two civilians traveling with the officers sustained soft tissue injuries and were taken to the hospital alongside the officers.
As the latest Mandera attack sends shockwaves across the country, there are renewed calls for the National Police Service and Kenya’s defense apparatus to intensify surveillance, reinforce patrols, and deploy advanced counter-IED technology to protect personnel and civilians alike.
The nation watches closely as investigators work around the clock to unmask the perpetrators and deliver justice, while communities in North Eastern Kenya continue living under the shadow of fear.
