A suspected Al-Shabaab militant was killed and three others arrested following an operation by Kenya's elite Special Operations Group (SOG) on Thursday, May 8.
According to a statement from Counter Terrorism Policing Kenya, the operation was carried out after the SOG intercepted an Al-Shabaab cell targeting civilians and security vehicles along the Dadaab-Hagadera road.
The officers acted on intelligence reports from locals who had spotted the militants attempting to plant improvised explosive devices (IEDs) along the busy route.
"On the morning of May 8, the elite Special Operations Group neutralised an Al-Shabaab terrorist in Garissa while responding to the reports by locals of militants attempting to plant improved explosive devices (IEDs) along the Dadaab-Hagadera road targeting civilians and security vehicles," the Counter Terrorism Policing Kenya stated.
During the exchange of fire, one militant was killed, and three others were injured. Security officers also managed to arrest one of the suspects.
The authorities recovered several weapons from the scene, including a PKM machine gun, an AK-47, a pistol, a comms radio, and an IED remote.
This successful operation is part of a series of missions led by the SOG and other security agencies in the region aimed at dismantling terror cells and enhancing safety.
The Counter Terrorism Policing Kenya praised locals for providing timely and valuable information, encouraging continued cooperation to help keep the region secure.
The latest operation comes just days after five elite police officers from the Special Operations Unit (SOU) were killed by Al-Shabaab militants in Boni Forest, Lamu County, on April 30.
According to reports, the officers were ambushed by the militants while pursuing suspects believed to be Al-Shabaab operatives in the area.
The attack also left five other SOU officers with serious injuries. Sources indicated that some of the militants sustained injuries during the encounter as well.
It is reported that the officers had spent two days inside the forest tracking the militants, following intelligence that the group was planning to launch a large-scale ambush.
