NAIROBI, Kenya, May 2 – Five police officers were killed and five others injured during an ambush by suspected al Shabaab fighters in Boni Forest.
The officers, drawn from the Special Operations Group (SOG), were tracking a group of suspected militants in the Lehelo area when they came under fire. The team had been on the trail for two days, following information that the group was preparing an attack from a hideout in the forest.
Police said the wounded were flown to Nairobi for treatment. Names of the deceased officers have not been made public as their families are yet to be notified.
A joint security operation has been launched in the area to pursue those involved in the ambush. Authorities believe some of the attackers may have been injured during the exchange.
The attack adds to a series of recent incidents linked to al Shabaab along the Kenya-Somalia border. Boni Forest, which spans parts of Lamu, Garissa, and Tana River counties, is known to be used by the group for movement and recruitment.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen visited the injured officers at Nairobi West Hospital on Labour Day. He said government efforts to deal with the threat would continue and called for improved support for officers in the field.
Murkomen was joined by Inspector General Japhet Koome and two Deputy Inspectors General. He stated that nine officers were recovering from injuries linked to recent operations both in Kenya and abroad. Five have died in action over the past few weeks.
Security agencies have urged residents in border areas to share any information that could assist in locating the group or cutting off its support network.
Operations in Boni Forest are expected to continue until the situation is contained.
