Two officers injured as militants ambush police convoy in Mandera
A suspected Al-Shabaab militant attack left two police officers injured early Friday morning. The convoy, carrying 25 police officers, was traveling from Nairobi to Mandera when the ambush occurred at approximately 4am at Isaqora area, about 10 kilometers south of Rhamu town along the Rhamu-Elwak highway.
A female police officer who reported the incident said the attackers sprayed the convoy with bullets from both sides of the road.
“We were caught completely off guard. Bullets were coming from every direction,” the officer said.
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The female police officer suffered minor injuries to her right palm but is otherwise reported to be well.
Also injured was the driver of the Land Cruiser, Police Constable Kevin Anakada, who sustained gunshot wounds on both legs. The officer was rushed to Rhamu Sub County Hospital, where he is said to be in stable condition.
“All the other officers are accounted for with no injuries. Our immediate focus is the wellbeing of the injured officers, and we are grateful the situation was not worse,” said a spokesperson for the Rhamu Police Station.
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At the scene, officers from Rhamu Police Station collected several spent cartridges and fragments of suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Mandera North is currently investigating the incident.
The incident marks a continuing security challenge posed by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in the region.
The Somali-based Islamist extremist group has been a persistent source of violence and instability in the Horn of Africa, particularly in Kenya’s northeastern regions bordering Somalia.
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