A contingent of police officers was on Friday, February 24, attacked by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Garissa County that resulted in two deaths
The two police officers were killed when the roadside bomb exploded on the wheels of the van they were traveling in. Three others were seriously injured in the process.
The injured police officers were transferred to a local hospital for treatment as the National Police Service (NPS) planned to airlift them to Nairobi.
It was reported that the police van accidentally drove over the IED along Dadaab-Garissa road, triggering the bomb to blow up.
Garissa County Police Commander Thomas Ngeiywa confirmed to the press that the officers were travelling from Dadaab to Garissa Town when the explosion occurred.
The deceased officers were transferred to the mortuary as NPS launched investigations and connected with their families.
Northern Kenya has, on many occassions, been flagged as dangerous for road users following multiple reports of attacks by Al-Shabaab militants.
On February 14, 2023, three officers died on the spot while one survived with injuries when their van hit an IED.
A similar attack happened when suspected Al-Shabaab militants targeted a convoy of Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) engineers who were traveling to Garissa County.
US Embassy Warning
On February 9, 2023, the United States of America's Embassy in Nairobi warned their citizens of a terror threat targeting places that were frequently visited by foreigners.
"Terrorist groups could attack with little or no warning, targeting hotels, embassies, restaurants, malls and markets, schools, police stations, places of worship, and other places frequented by foreigners and tourists. The government of Kenya has increased counterterrorism patrols," the US government warned.
