Crime scene
Kenyan security forces are on heightened alert after suspected al-Shabaab militants carried out separate attacks on Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) teams in Garissa and Lamu counties.
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Officials said no injuries or deaths were reported in either incident.
In Garissa, suspected militants armed with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attacked KDF personnel assigned to provide security along the LAPSSET corridor.
The attack took place on Saturday, September 19, 2026, along a section of road in Bura East Sub-County, officials on the ground said.
The officers were on a routine patrol when suspected al-Shabaab fighters opened the attack.
KDF personnel returned fire, forcing the suspected militants to retreat towards Degwardey village.
Support teams were then deployed to search the area and pursue leads on the attackers’ whereabouts.
No casualties were reported.
In a separate incident that same morning, suspected militants launched a short probing attack against a KDF camp at Bodhei Junction in Lamu County.
Officials said an unknown number of attackers approached the camp on September 19 before opening fire.
The assailants reportedly fired two rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and followed them with rapid rifle fire directed at the KDF position.
Witnesses said the exchange lasted about two minutes before security personnel repelled the attackers.
There were no reported injuries among security officers or civilians, officials said.
Security teams are expected to examine the scene and investigate the attack, including efforts to determine the suspected militants’ identities and movements.
The latest incidents add to a series of attacks reported in the region as security operations continue.
Last week, officials said security forces launched operations after suspected al-Shabaab militants attempted to raid an Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) camp in Elram, Mandera County. Officers repelled the attack.
A comparable incident was also reported at a General Service Unit camp in Kiunga, Lamu County. Police said no injuries were recorded in either operation.
Officials said the first of those incidents occurred on September 10, 2026, at the ASTU Elram Camp.
Suspected al-Shabaab militants had been seen at Chabicha Hills moving in the direction of the camp. Police took up defensive positions before the attackers mounted a probing assault from the camp’s eastern side.
According to police, the attackers fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and AK-47 rifles from a distance of about 230 meters from the officers’ defensive positions.
The officers responded quickly and drove the attackers away. No casualties were reported.
Security personnel were expected to remain vigilant while investigators worked to establish the identities and movements of the suspected militants.
Police also reported a similar probing attack on a General Service Unit (GSU) camp in Milimani, Lamu East Sub-County.
That incident was reported on September 10, 2026.
The attackers targeted the camp with a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and several rounds of rifle ammunition over a period of a few minutes.
Officers returned fire and repulsed the suspected militants.
No injuries were reported. Officials said the area remained on high alert as security teams continued to monitor developments.
The attacks come amid continuing security concerns along Kenya’s coastal border with Somalia, where al-Shabaab has previously targeted both security personnel and civilians.
They also follow increased patrols and surveillance along Kenya’s northern border, as security agencies seek to prevent cross-border attacks by suspected al-Shabaab militants.
Police and military officers are expected to maintain heightened vigilance while security operations remain in progress, officials said.
The incidents are the latest attacks against security personnel and installations in the region. Officials said operations had been intensified to prevent further assaults.
Probing attacks have increased in recent months amid concerns that militants could be preparing a large-scale assault on security installations.
The attacks highlight the continuing threat posed by al-Shabaab fighters operating along Kenya’s porous border with Somalia, despite sustained counterterrorism operations by Kenyan security forces.
The region has experienced repeated cross-border incursions in recent years, targeting security personnel, communication infrastructure and public transport.
Kenya deployed the Kenya Defence Forces to Somalia under Operation Linda Nchi on October 14, 2011, following a series of cross-border attacks and kidnappings that threatened the country’s security and tourism sector.
