Five Kenyan security officers killed in suspected Al-Shabab attack near Somalia border

Five Kenyan security officers killed in suspected Al-Shabab attack near Somalia border
Kenyan police patrol the Kenya-Somalia border near the town of Mandera. (Reuters)
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Updated 29 July 2026 20:38
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Five Kenyan security officers killed in suspected Al-Shabab attack near Somalia border

Five Kenyan security officers killed in suspected Al-Shabab attack near Somalia border
  • Kenyan police: ‘A patrol team from SOG Alungu came into contact with Al-Shabab militants in ⁠the general area of ‌Wantey ‌Dam’
  • Militant group has been battling for years to overthrow Somalia’s central government ‌and establish ‌its rule ​in ‌the ⁠Horn of ​Africa

NAIROBI: ‌Five Kenyan security officers were killed in a clash with suspected ​Al-Shabab militants in the county of Mandera near the Somali border, police said.
The militant group has been battling for years to overthrow Somalia’s central government ‌and establish ‌its rule ​in ‌the ⁠Horn of ​Africa country, ⁠based on its own strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.
“A patrol team from SOG Alungu came into contact with Al-Shabab militants in ⁠the general area of ‌Wantey ‌Dam,” police said in a ​report, following ‌Tuesday’s clash around noon.
Police ‌are pursuing the militants, they added, after a reinforcement team sent to the area was ‌hit by an improvised explosive device, which destroyed an ⁠armored ⁠vehicle, though no casualties were reported.
Al-Shabab’s frequent attacks in the region frequently targets both military and civilians, with police saying in January the militants had killed a local chief and a teacher in the nearby ​county of ​Garissa.