Four AP officers killed after their armoured vehicle hit IED in Lamu

Armoured personnel carrier

Four Administration Police officers killed, several injured and two others missing after their armoured personnel carrier hit an IED at Baure in Lamu County.

After the vehicle exploded, there was an exchange of fire between soldiers from the Baure KDF camp and militants in the area.  Five bodies were recovered after the attack, four dressed in Administration Police officer uniform while one was in civilian clothing; two officers are unaccounted for.

Noah Mwavanda, officer in charge of multiagency security team in Lamu said the officers were travelling to Mokowe to refuel the armoured personnel carrier (APC).  

The multiagency security team has been working to contain militants in the forested Baure area.

In May 16, 2016 Millitants attacked the Baure KDF camp. Six soldiers perished while 18 militants lost lives. The British jihadist Thomas Evans who was behind the attack died then.

The area has experienced militant attacks since 2014 when a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) camp was ambushed. The attack was blamed on Jaysh Ayman, a wing of Al Shabaab.

The forested Nothern Lamu area, Baure is close to Mpeketoni where more than 60 people were killed in June 2014 attacks.