Five al Shabaab terrorists were killed on Tuesday in an ambush by Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Special Forces at Lacta Mangai, deep inside Boni Forest in Lamu County.
Security officials said the militants had been planning to overrun a security installation in the area.
Acting on intelligence, the KDF unit launched a carefully planned patrol that ended with the militants neutralised and a major attack foiled. Others escaped with injuries.
The mission also uncovered and destroyed an improvised al Shabaab camp in the forest, according to a military statement. The team reported that their operation preempted a large-scale attack and urged continued vigilance in the region.
The operation also resulted in the recovery of significant al Shabaab operational items. These included AK-47 rifles, RPG launchers with warheads, rounds of ammunition, solar panels, tents, and IED construction materials.
Security officials revealed that the militants planned to lay the IEDs on routes frequently used by security agencies with the objective of recording more deaths and destruction.
The military urged residents to remain alert and report any suspicious activities that could compromise security.
Security officials confirmed that additional troops have been deployed in Boni Forest to pursue intelligence reports that militants have set up additional camps where they are plotting new attacks.
The fresh operation underscores the relentless effort by Kenyan security agencies to disrupt al Shabaab’s networks in the Boni enclave, which the militants have utilized for years as a sanctuary to launch cross-border attacks and IED attacks.
