Three Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers were killed and six wounded on Tuesday in a suspected Al-Shabaab attack after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device (IED) in Lamu County’s Boni Forest.
Lamu East Deputy County Commissioner George Kubai confirmed the attack, which took place around 1:40 p.m. in Badaa, a remote area two kilometres from Kiunga Town, near the Kenya–Somalia border.
The KDF crew was traveling from Kiunga to Sankuri when their truck ran over the IED, leading to a deadly explosion that left a scene of destruction and multiple casualties.
The raid was carried out deep in Boni Forest, a region long considered a hotbed of terror. It is now the focus of Operation Amani Boni (OAB), a joint security operation launched in September 2015 to evict Al-Shabaab militants believed to be hiding there and launching cross-border raids from there.
The explosive device completely destroyed the KDF vehicle on impact, sending debris flying and severely injuring several personnel. Rescue units began evacuation efforts for the injured while security units began pursuing the attackers.
Kubai appealed to residents to support the ongoing security efforts by reporting any information that would help identify or arrest the suspects.
“So far, an operation to hunt down the attackers is ongoing on the ground. Evacuation efforts are also on for the casualties,” Kubai said. “It is our humble appeal to members of the public to cooperate with us. Kindly provide us with crucial leads even as our security agencies are already combating, pursuing the enemy.”
The attack shattered what had been a relatively calm period in Lamu, which had gone over three months without any Al-Shabaab-related incident. Authorities had noted marked improvement in security and general stability in the region prior to this latest strike.
The last known activity of the terror group was on April 5, when security forces defended against a night attack on a General Service Unit (GSU) camp at Basuba, also within the Boni Forest.
