5 policemen killed in northeastern Kenya

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - Five Kenyan policemen were killed Tuesday in a bomb attack in Garissa County in northeastern Kenya, police said.

A policeman, who spoke to Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said the attack took place in Bodhai area, where the policemen ran over a roadside bomb while on their way to Ijara town.

Eyewitnesses also posted on social media the pictures of the vehicle which was blown up.

Northeastern Regional Coordinator Mohammed Saleh also confirmed the attack to local media.

Over 20 police officers were killed in the same manner in Garissa county alone last month by the Somali-based al-Qaeda affiliated al-Shabaab militant group.

Garissa has witnessed a string of al-Shabaab attacks in the recent past due to its close proximity to the porous Kenyan-Somali border.