Six police officers were killed in north-east Kenya after armed assailants attacked a security base near the Somalia border, a regional official confirmed.
While no group has claimed responsibility, Garissa County Commissioner Mohamed Mwabudzo said that the attack followed al-Shabab’s pattern of cross-border raids.
Ambush at Dawn
The officers were ambushed at 05:30 local time (02:30 GMT) on Sunday while preparing for morning prayers. In addition to the six fatalities, four officers sustained injuries and were taken to hospital.
Al-Shabab, the al-Qaeda-linked militant group, frequently launches attacks in the region, targeting both security forces and civilians.
“Guerrilla-Style” Assault
Mr. Mwabudzo described the attack as “guerrilla-style,” consistent with al-Shabab’s tactics of destabilizing the region. “The suspected militia used assorted weapons to overrun the camp,” he added.
The targeted base housed police reservists—local volunteers who assist security forces in protecting remote areas.
Al-Shabab’s Ongoing Insurgency
Al-Shabab controls large parts of southern and central Somalia and has been waging an insurgency against the Somali government for nearly 20 years. The group has repeatedly attacked Kenya, retaliating against the country’s military presence in Somalia as part of the African Union peacekeeping mission.
