Kenya’s battle against terror took another grim turn on Tuesday after eight officers from the elite Border Patrol Unit (BPU) were injured in a suspected Al-Shabaab attack in Fafi Sub-county, Garissa.
The officers were conducting a routine patrol in the volatile Kiwanja-Yumbis area, approximately 10 kilometres from Yumbis town, when their armoured vehicle hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) believed to have been planted by the militant group.
Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo confirmed the incident, assuring the public that the injured officers were receiving medical treatment and were in stable condition. A joint multi-agency security operation was immediately launched to pursue the attackers and secure the area, which remains under close surveillance.
This latest ambush adds to a worrying trend of escalating militant activity in Kenya’s northeastern corridor, where Al-Shabaab has increasingly resorted to roadside bombs to inflict damage on security forces. Experts say the group’s reliance on IEDs reflects a calculated strategy, one that avoids direct confrontation but yields maximum disruption.
Just a month ago, a similar attack in Mandera County left seven police officers wounded when their vehicle ran over an IED on the Gadudia–Laga Road. Another attack in May saw three officers narrowly escape death in Daadab, Garissa County. These frequent, high-impact assaults underline a growing security dilemma.
Al-Shabaab’s tactical use of IEDs is as insidious as it is effective. The group plants explosives along patrol routes, remote roads, and even within common items, making detection exceptionally difficult. Their objective is clear: wear down Kenya’s security apparatus while instilling fear in both the forces and local populations.
