Kenyan forces kill two suspected Al-Shabab militants near Somalia border
The incident unfolded as Kenya maintains heightened security measures nationwide, with authorities increasing patrols, reinforcing checkpoints and expanding surveillance in locations viewed as at risk of militant attacks.
Thursday March 26, 2026
Nairobi (AX) — An intelligence-driven security operation near Kenya’s border with Somalia left two suspected al-Shabab militants dead and several others wounded, police said Tuesday, as authorities tightened precautions ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday period.
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The Counter Terrorism Policing Unit said officers from the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) conducted the operation on the outskirts of Sarira in Mandera County, days before Eid al-Fitr celebrations last week on Friday.
According to a police statement, officers acted on intelligence indicating a planned infiltration attempt and tracked the suspects with assistance from aerial surveillance assets. Security forces then set an ambush that killed two of the suspected militants and injured four others, the statement said. Police added that the remaining members of the group escaped by fleeing across the border into Somalia.
The incident unfolded as Kenya maintains heightened security measures nationwide, with authorities increasing patrols, reinforcing checkpoints and expanding surveillance in locations viewed as at risk of militant attacks.
Last month, counterterrorism officers reported thwarting a suspected al-Shabab plot in Nairobi after extensive monitoring of the group’s movements and communications. Police said they recovered assault rifles, pistols and explosive devices that were allegedly meant for use in an attack during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group based in Somalia, has carried out numerous attacks in Kenya in recent years, with border areas and major cities among the most frequently targeted.