LAMU, KENYA — Five police officers have been killed and eight others sustained injuries following an ambush by suspected al-Shabaab militants in the Boni Forest, located in Lamu County.
Confirming the incident, Lamu Police Commissioner Wesley Koech stated that over 70 al-Shabaab militants attempted to cross the Bodhei-Lamu Border in Garissa before encountering the police officers.
The Special Operations Group (SOG) officers involved had reportedly been tracking the suspected terrorists for two days prior to the attack.
Tragically, the officers were ambushed while in pursuit of the militants in the Lehelo area, where they came under intense gunfire in what appeared to be a well-organized assault.
The attack resulted in serious injuries to numerous officers, with police indicating that they believe al-Shabaab also suffered casualties during the confrontation.
Authorities reported that the injured officers were evacuated from the forest and airlifted to Nairobi for specialized medical treatment. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen visited the wounded officers at Nairobi West Hospital on Thursday and strongly condemned the attack.
Mr. Murkomen was accompanied by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Deputy Inspector General (Kenya Police Service) Eliud Lagat, and Deputy Inspector General (Administration Police Service) Gilbert Masengeli, among other senior security officials.
During the visit, he pledged that the government would intensify counter-terrorism operations in the region.
“Our officers put their lives on the line every day to protect this country. We owe them not just gratitude but real support in terms of better welfare, equipment, and medical care,” Mr. Murkomen affirmed.
Additionally, Mr. Murkomen disclosed that police officers injured in both domestic operations within Kenya and the ongoing mission in Haiti were also receiving treatment at the same medical facility.
He also conveyed his deepest condolences to the families of the five officers who tragically lost their lives in recent operations across the nation.
