At least five Kenyan security officers were killed on Tuesday night after their patrol vehicle struck a suspected bomb during an operation in Mandera County, according to local reports.
The five, who include four officers from the Special Operations Group (SOG) and one National Police Reservist, lost their lives after the vehicle they were travelling in hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
The attack, which has been dubbed one of the deadliest militia attacks in recent months, occurred in the El-Raamo area of Kutulo along the Alungu Main Supply Route (MSR), near the Kenya-Somalia border.
Sources privy to the information indicate the officers were on a routine security patrol when their vehicle struck the IED, which was planted along the main supply route.
Moments after the explosion, a fierce gun battle erupted between some SOG officers and the suspected attackers, but the outnumbered officers were unable to contain the militants, who escaped the scene under the cover of the attack.
At the time of publication of this article, no group has claimed immediate responsibility for the ambush. However, the region is notorious for cross-border attacks by militants from terror group Al-Shabaab.
Police speculate that the IED was planted as early as July 21, with militants waiting patiently for a patrol vehicle to step on it before launching a coordinated ambush.
In the days leading up to the attack, militants had been spotted in the area, prompting heightened patrols.