20 suspected Al Shabaab militants killed in Mandera

A machine gun and a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) were recovered from the militants. [NPS/Twitter]

Twenty suspected Al Shabaab militants have been killed in a clash with police drawn from the Special Operations Group (SOG) at Ogorwen area of Mandera County.

Police have also recovered assorted weapons, including a submachine gun, the National Police Service has said.

Confirming the Wednesday, July 6 incident, Police Spokesperson Dr Resla Onyango said the terrorists were neutralised shortly after trying to lay an ambush at the officers.

"Preliminary investigations indicate that the resulting heavy gunfire exchange between the officers who were on patrol, and the militants, left twenty militants fatally injured and eight NPS officers injured," Resla said.

The Standard has learnt that efforts are underway to evacuate the injured officers to Nairobi for specialised treatment after having been attended to at a local hospital.

This incident comes a day after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced the delay in plans to reopen the Kenya-Somalia border due to increased terror threats.