At least three Kenyan military soldiers were killed and several General Service Unit (GSU) officers were injured in two separate attacks by al-Shabaab fighters in Lamu.
According to a statement by the police, the GSU soldiers were injured on Sunday after their vehicle ran over an explosive device at Mlima wa Faru in Lamu County.
The incident, which happened at 9:30 am between Pandanguo and Witu, is suspected to be an attack by al-Shabaab fighters.
“I have received reports that a GSU armoured personnel vehicle has run over an IED at Mlima wa Faru along the Witu-Pandanguo GSU camp while on their normal patrol in the area,” Lamu West Deputy County Commissioner Gabriel Kioni said. “I have been informed that the militants emerged from the forest and attempted to attack the officers after the vehicle fell. An exchange of fire ensued, with no casualties reported thus far.”
The officers were onboard an armoured personnel carrier when the incident occurred.
According to Kioni, three military soldiers were also killed after soldiers conducting regular operations in the Pandanguo area, which borders the Boni Forest were ambushed by suspected al-Shabaab fighters.
Al-Shabaab has been carrying out attacks in areas along Kenya’s border with Somalia since 2011. The group killed dozens of non-locals in Mandera, Wajir and Garissa counties.
Al-Shabaab claimed to take revenge on the Kenya government for the deployment of its troops in Somalia.
Kenya has thousands of soldiers working under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia.
