5 Soldiers Killed After KDF Vehicle Hits IED

Five Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers were killed and ten others injured in Lamu after their vehicle hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) along the Kiunga and Sankuri road.

The incident occurred at 8 am on Wednesday as the officers had gone to fetch and distribute water for the residents.

According to the KDF Public Affairs Officer Colonel Njuguna, the injured were rushed to Lamu General Hospital where they are receiving treatment.

“We thank the locals who offered assistance to the soldiers and call upon them to assist in weeding out lurking terror elements in their midst, in order to assist in the progressive pacification of Lamu County,” stated Colonel Njuguna.

This incident comes barely a week after a KDF officer was laid to rest following a similar IED attack on a lorry he was in on August 8 as it moved from Baragoni towards Bodhei in Lamu.

The officers were on a scheduled patrol when the incident occurred.

The troop of soldiers were part of the Operation Linda Boni Forest that was charged with flushing out the Al-Shabaab terrorist group from the forest.

Since the operation began, there have been several surprise attacks in the area with one resulting in the carjacking and injuring of Public Works Principal Secretary Mariam El Maawy at Milihoi.

The PS later died while receiving treatment in a South African hospital three months after the attack.

The area around Boni Forest had experienced three months of peace before the recent attacks.

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