By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, 19 November 2025 - Two police officers died on Wednesday after their patrol vehicle hit an improvised explosive device along the Liboi–Kulan road in Garissa, in an attack officials have linked to al-Shabaab militants operating along the Kenya–Somalia border.
Five other officers were injured in the blast, two of them critically, while one remains missing.
The Border Patrol Unit officers were carrying out a routine surveillance mission when their Land Cruiser ran over the explosive, which investigators believe was planted and remotely detonated moments before the patrol arrived.
The vehicle was left in ruins, scattered across the roadside, a stark reminder that, despite months of relative calm, the threat in the region remains deeply entrenched.
Police Headquarters said the attack marks one of the most serious incidents in recent weeks and underscores the challenges of securing vast, remote border areas where militants exploit rough terrain and limited visibility to stage ambushes.
The last major incident in the area occurred in October, when officers foiled a similar plot after receiving timely information from residents.
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That cooperation between security teams and local communities has been widely credited with helping suppress attacks in Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera.
Intelligence-led patrols and specialised anti-terror deployments have disrupted several militant movements.
But Wednesday’s explosion suggests the group is adapting, waiting for moments of reduced vigilance to strike.
The killing of the two officers comes just weeks after another attack in Wajir’s Dagahaley area, where Constable Elijah Orwa was shot dead in an ambush also blamed on al-Shabaab fighters.
These incidents, though fewer than in previous years, highlight the persistent volatility of the border belt and the need for sustained vigilance.
