Police Kill 20 Al Shabaab Militants, Seize RPG Among Assorted Weapons
NPS revealed in a statement that the SOG team was ambushed by the militants of the notorious terrorist group while on patrol.
Marvin Chege 
The National Police Service (NPS) announced on Thursday, July 6 that its Special Operations Group (SOG) team killed 20 suspected Al-Shabaab militants following a shootout at the Ogorwen Location within Mandera County.
NPS revealed in a statement that the SOG team was ambushed by the militants of the notorious terrorist group while on patrol.
"Police in Mandera are investigating a suspected Al Shabaab terrorist attack following an ambush on our Special Operations Group (SOG) team on July 5, 2023, at Ogorwen Location within Mandera County.
Assortment of weapons recovered following a gunfight between police officers and Al Shabaab on July 6, 2023. /NPS
"Preliminary investigations indicate that the resulting heavy gunfire exchange between the Officers who were on patrol, and the militants, left twenty militants fatally injured and eight NPS Officers injured," stated the NPS in part.
Police also recovered assorted weapons from the Scene of Crime, including a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), according to photos it shared on social media.
"As a Service, we commend our Officers for their dedication to duty and reiterate our commitment to enhancing national security," NPS praised.
The RPG recovered was in two parts; one representing the warhead and the other the propelling gun. Also found according to the shared photos were jerricans, though Viral Tea could not independently establish their purpose.
Mandera County just so happens to lie near the Kenya-Somalia border. On Wednesday, July 5, Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki announced a delay in the planned reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border points in phases.
"The Government will delay the planned phased-out reopening of the Kenya-Somalia border points to facilitate comprehensive and conclusive handling of the recent wave of terror attacks and cross-border crime," Kindiki stated.
On Monday, May 15, CS Kindiki announced that the Kenya-Somalia border points would be reopened in phases in the next 90 days.
The CS noted that the exercise which would take effect immediately would bring to an end a more-than-a-decade-old border block between the two neighbouring countries.
Kindiki had hosted a high-level delegation from Somalia led by the ministers Mohamed Ahmed Sheikh Ali (Internal Security), Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur (Defence) and Abshir Omar Jama (Foreign Affairs) before staging a news conference at Harambee House in Nairobi.
“The border between Kenya and Somalia will be re-opened in a phased out manner within the next 90 days effective today starting with the Mandera-Bula Hawa border point which should be re-opened in the next 30 days,” he announced then.
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