By Andrew Wasike
NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) — Two Kenyan police reservists were killed and two others wounded after an improvised explosive device detonated near a border patrol position in Mandera County, close to the border with Somalia, police said Thursday.
The blast occurred at Kulun Border Point Four along the Bulla Hawa–Mandera crossing, about 100 meters inside Kenyan territory in Mandera East Sub-County, according to police.
Mandera lies about 1,050 kilometers (652 miles) northeast of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.
According to a police report, the explosion hit officers attached to the National Police Reserve as they conducted routine patrols at the remote post.
“The scene was secured by multi-agency teams, exhibits were recovered, and a secondary IED was safely detonated. Arms were accounted for, and the deceased were released for burial as per Islamic rites,” the police report said.
The officers killed were identified as Police Constable Abdirashid Shabellow Ali and Corporal Mohammed Abdow Issack.
Two others were injured. Police Constable Abdullahi Jillow Adan was treated for blast-related wounds and is in stable condition, while Police Constable Athan Noor Abdullah Abdi sustained critical injuries and is receiving specialized care at Mandera Referral Hospital.
Security officials said the attack is suspected to have been carried out by the al-Shabaab terrorist group.
The group has repeatedly targeted patrol units operating along the porous Kenya–Somalia border, where dense bush, informal crossings, and long distances complicate surveillance.
Similar attacks have been reported in Mandera and neighboring counties in the past, including incidents in which security personnel were killed by roadside bombs while escorting patrols or responding to border incursions.
Police said investigations into the blast are ongoing, with additional patrols deployed to reinforce security in the area.