2 KDF Soldiers Killed Rescuing 10 GSU Cops Injured In Al Shabaab Attack

At least two Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers were on Sunday, June 18 killed as they responded to a morning attack targeting a General Service Unit (GSU) team in Lamu.

At least 10 GSU officers were earlier injured when an armoured personnel carrier (APC) vehicle they were in ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

Chief strategic communication head Brig. Zipporah Kioko confirmed the death of the two soldiers, adding that the wounded were airlifted for medical attention. A response team from KDF was also ambushed in the attack leaving dozens injured.

GSU officers being deployed for a past operation. /DAILY NATION

The IED was suspected to have been planted on the road by Al-Shabaab militants at Mlima wa Faru, between Pandanguo and Witu in Lamu County.

The APC was first hit by a roadside bomb and when a team responded aboard a Landcruiser they were hit. After the vehicle fell, the militants reportedly engaged the officers in a fierce gunfight, with  Lamu West deputy county commissioner Gabriel Kioni however noting that there were no deaths in the first incident.

“According to reports, militants emerged from the forest and attempted to attack the officers after the vehicle crashed. An exchange of fire ensued with no casualties reported thus far.

“The APC was first hit by a roadside bomb, and when a team aboard a Landcruiser responded, they were also hit and we have casualties,” he stated.

The more than 10 GSU officers who were injured were aboard the vehicle and were in their routine patrol within the Pandanguo route which borders the vast Boni forest where a multi-agency security Operation Amani Boni (OAB) is ongoing.

The operation was launched in 2015 with its initial name being Operation Linda Boni. Its objective is to flush out the militants believed to be hiding inside the dense Boni Forest.

The affected officers were from the Pandanguo GSU camp and were on their normal patrol in the area before the vehicle ran over the explosive.

There have been warnings the terrorists are planning more attacks in the areas of Lamu and Garissa counties. Last week, the terrorists killed at least 15 security officials in separate attacks between the counties.

On Tuesday, May 23, an elite unit of the Administration Police (AP), the Special Operations Group (SOG), recovered a cache of heavy weapons following a shootout with 10 suspected members of the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist outfit Al-Shabaab in Garissa County.

A statement from the National Police Service (NPS) on Tuesday, May 23 revealed that the weapons were seized from a temporary camp which SOG officers managed to track from footprints spotted nearby.