By Adan Mohamed - Reporter
July 29, 2026 - Five Kenyan security officers, including four members of the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) and one Kenya Police Reservist (KPR), were killed after their patrol team was hit by a suspected Al-Shabaab improvised explosive device (IED) and came under attack in Mandera County.
The incident occurred in the Wantey/El-Raamo area of Kutulo Ward along the Alungu Main Supply Route, close to the Kenya–Somalia border.
According to preliminary reports, the officers were conducting a border surveillance and security patrol when their vehicle struck the suspected IED before militants launched an ambush.
The four Special Operations Group officers were killed at the scene. The fifth victim was a Kenya Police Reservist attached to the operation.
Security sources said the bodies of the four SOG officers were evacuated to Elwak and are expected to be airlifted to Nairobi, while the rest burials are underway in Mandera county.
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During the attack, the assailants reportedly made away with four AK-47 rifles, one machine gun, and four police motorcycles, dealing a significant blow to the patrol team.
The attack remains persistent on security threat posed by Al-Shabaab militants operating along the porous Kenya–Somalia border, where security forces have continued to face IED attacks and ambushes despite intensified operations.
Authorities have not yet released an official statement on the incident, while security operations have reportedly been intensified in the area as efforts continue to pursue those responsible.