Kenya’s elite Special Operations Group (SOG) has foiled an attempted terror attack after intercepting eight Al-Shabaab militants who were setting up improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Welmerer-Yumbia area of Garissa County.
According to security reports, the militants were in the process of assembling the explosives when the unit received intelligence from members of the local community, prompting an immediate response.
Upon arrival, the SOG officers engaged the suspects in a brief exchange before recovering several IEDs that had already been assembled and planted along the road.
According to the specialised unit, the devices were intended to target civilians and security personnel using the busy Welmerer-Yumbis route.
“Our Elite Special Operations Group (SOG) stopped 8 Al-Shabaab terrorists who were attempting to set up Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDS) at the Welmerer-Yumbia area in Garissa,” read part of the report by the Counter Terrorism Policing shared on Monday.
Adding that: “The brave officers engaged the terrorists and managed to recover assembled IEDS, which were to be used to attack our mothers, children, and security officers using the Welmerer-Yumbis road.”
The response by the officers averted what could have been another terror attack in the region, which has in recent months witnessed increased militant activity targeting security convoys and passenger vehicles.
Three Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers tragically lost their lives, while several others sustained injuries after their vehicle struck an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in July this year.
According to security and operational reports, the officers from Kenya’s security forces were on a routine patrol along the Sakuri-Kiunga Main Supply Route (MSR) when they encountered the IED.
A month earlier, four suspected Al-Shabaab militants were eliminated in Garissa County after security officers used drones to track them. A police report confirmed that the four terrorists were neutralised at the Najo and Guracho areas of Garissa County.
According to the police, AK-47 rifles, a PKM machine gun, multiple rounds of ammunition, and communication radios were recovered from the individuals.
Further, in August, at least five Al Shabaab militants were killed by Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers during an operation inside the Boni Forest in Lamu County.
KDF officers revealed that the terrorists were killed while others sustained injuries during an intelligence-led patrol in Lacta Mangai within the expansive Boni Forest.
