One killed after vehicle runs over explosive in Mandera

Wreck of a vehicle in the remote area between Kulan and Liboi in Garrisa county on 16th May, 2017. Four people who were traveling in the vehicle died when their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device.

A land surveyor working for a road construction company was killed Wednesday afternoon when a vehicle he was traveling in ran over an Improvised Explosive Device in Elwak area, Mandera County.

His driver survived with serious injuries after the 1 pm incident. Police said the IED was targeting government vehicles using the Wajir-Mandera road.

The affected vehicle was traveling from Wajir to Mandera carrying the workers of a road construction company when the incident happened.

Witnesses said the vehicle was tossed off the scene about 10 meters.

The incident is latest in a series of blasts that have been happening in the last two weeks targeting government vehicles. Police have blamed the attacks on Al-Shabaab militants who are operating in the area.

On Tuesday, four people were killed after a vehicle they were traveling in ran over an IED in Liboi area, Garissa County.

The four included two miraa transporters, a woman and a minor. Police said the incident happened in Aligabay area, which is between Kulan and Liboi.

They were traveling in a Land cruiser that had dropped heaps of miraa in the area when the incident happened at 10 am.

The vehicle was extensively damaged after the blast. On Monday night, the militants had raided a home of a chief in Omar Jillo in Mandera and killed him.

North Eastern regional coordinator Mohamud Saleh said those behind the IEDs have been timing government vehicles.

Last week, seven security officials were injured in a similar blast in Liboi.