Two more police officers killed in Liboi IED attack

Photo: Courtesy

Two police officers were Thursday killed and four others injured after an Improvised Explosive Devise tore their vehicle along the Malelei-Kulan Road in Liboi, Garissa County.

Two of those injured were airlifted to Nairobi for specialised treatment following the 7 am blast. Police at the scene said the injured had life threatening injuries. The officers were patrolling in a vehicle belonging to immigration department when the incident happened.

Kenya Redcross officials operating in the area said there were five people feared to have been killed in the blast that tore apart the vehicle that the officers were using.

“A vehicle is reported to have run over an IED between Malelei and Kulan, Garissa County. 5 feared dead and one injured. Redcross responding,” Kenya Red Cross said in a tweet.

North Eastern regional coordinator Mohamud Saleh said two officers had been airlifted to Nairobi.

“A vehicle ran over a landmine and so far we have airlifted some of the casualties to Nairobi. We are monitoring the situation,” said Saleh.

The incident happened a day after four other officers were killed in the same area as they travelled in a vehicle. The vehicle was hit by a planted IED on the road.

It also increased to 11, the number of police officers killed within the area in two days in IED attacks. Nine others including the four were killed on Wednesday in Kulan.

Witnesses said the latest victims were traveling in a new vehicle when it was hit by an IED that seemed to have been planted on Wednesday night.

The incident came two days after Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet said Al-Shabaab terrorists are under pressure inside Somalia from Amisom troops and are escaping to Kenya with an intention to staging attacks.

“These groups are dispatching operatives into parts of Northern Eastern Region to lay IEDs along the routes used by our security patrols in efforts to frustrate our security operations at the border areas,” said Boinnet.

He said there is the real risk of local operatives attempting to stage copycat attacks in Kenya following an IED attack in Manchester, UK.

Boinnet urged for public help to contain any planned attack. He appealed for vigilance in public service vehicles, churches, hotels and airports.

Terrorists have in the last two weeks been blasting vehicles in parts of North Eastern, which has claimed at least 20 lives.