3 injured in Mandera IED explosion

The vehicle struck an IED at Burta Ashaqa village in Mandera East on May 14, 2023. [Adan Ali, Standard]

Three people are nursing injuries after a public service vehicle they were travelling in struck an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mandera East.

The three were en route to Mandera Town from Elwak when the IED exploded as the vehicle passed by at around 11am on Sunday at Burta Ashaqa village in Karo location.

Speaking to the Standard, the vehicle's driver Said Ibrahim said he was ferrying 12 passengers, two of whom were rushed to Mandera Referral Hospital for further treatment.

"The device exploded, some ten meters from my Land Cruiser, puncturing the tyres and damaging the left side of the vehicle badly," said Ibrahim.

Ibrahim added, "One of the passengers who travelled with me from Rhamo got a fracture in his left hand while another sustained bruises on his face."

The incident came hours after General Service Unit (GSU) officers were attacked by unknown gunmen in ISAQORA area, about 10km south of Rhamu town, along the Rhamu-Elwak highway.

According to Rhamo police, the 25 GSU officers were travelling in a Land Cruiser and a lorry when they were sprayed with bullets.

"In the ensuing exchange of fire, the driver of the Land Cruiser sustained gunshot injuries on both legs and was rushed to Rhamu sub-county hospital. Another officer had a slight injury on the right palm. All the other officers accounted for with no injuries," read part of the police report.

In a similar incident early this month, at least six GSU officers were injured after a vehicle they were travelling in hit a landmine in Karo location in Mandera East.

The six were among a contingent of security personnel dispatched to the area following intelligence reports of Al-Shabaab insurgents' presence in the area.

The attack came weeks after a warning by County Commissioner Amos Mariba, tipping the media, that the insurgents had stepped up their presence along Somalia's border towns.

Mariba, however, assured the public of their safety and affirmed that security officers are on continuous patrol in the suspected areas to weed out the militants.