Wreckage of a Toyota Land Cruiser after it struck an IED along the Mandera–Elwak road on Thursday, August 6, 2027. Photo Northern Voice
Six people were injured, one critically, when a Toyota Land Cruiser hit a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) in an incident suspected to be an Al Shabaab attack in Mandera County.
- Advertisement -
The blast occurred at around 6 p.m. on Thursday near Odole Village in Elwak Sub-County, according to preliminary reports.
The victims were travelling along the busy Mandera–Elwak road when the vehicle struck the explosive device.
They were taken to Elwak Sub-County Referral Hospital, where they received treatment. Medical officials said Friday morning that one of the injured remained in critical condition.
Police opened an investigation, although authorities had not officially identified those responsible for the attack.
Al Shabaab has stepped up attacks along Kenya’s border with Somalia, recording at least 25 cross-border incidents in Mandera, Garissa, Wajir and Lamu counties this year.
Security analysts have attributed the increase to military operations against the group in Somalia’s Jubaland region, which are believed to have driven some fighters into Kenya.
The latest incident came slightly more than a week after five Kenyan security officers were killed on July 28 when suspected Al Shabaab militants ambushed an elite Special Operations Group patrol near Wantey Dam in Mandera County.
A reinforcement team sent to the scene later struck a second concealed IED, which destroyed its armoured vehicle.
In Garissa, militants killed four Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers in an IED attack. Six National Police Reserve officers were subsequently killed in another ambush.
In Lamu, two KDF soldiers died after their vehicle ran over another roadside bomb.
Suspected militants have also attacked civilians, firing on a passenger bus in Mandera in July in an apparent effort to force it to stop.
The driver continued at speed despite a punctured tyre, allowing about 50 passengers to escape unharmed.
The worsening security threat also led the United States to renew its travel advisory for parts of Kenya bordering Somalia, warning of the continued risk of terrorism.
