Six Police Officers Injured in Suspected Al-Shabaab IED Attack on Vehicle in Mandera
In the early hours of Friday, March 13, 2026, a police Land Cruiser carrying officers from Elwak Police Station was targeted in Mandera County, northeastern Kenya.
The incident took place around 6:30 a.m. along the Elwak–Wargadud Road as the team headed to Udole Pit for a relief assignment. While overtaking a passenger bus en route to Mandera, the vehicle struck a directional improvised explosive device (IED), believed to have been planted by Al-Shabaab militants, causing a powerful blast that damaged the police vehicle extensively—including its windscreen, side mirrors, and doors—while also shattering rear windows on the nearby bus.
The explosion was immediately followed by an ambush from suspected militants, though the attackers fled the scene shortly afterward. Six officers sustained various injuries, including bruises, cuts, and body pains. Among the wounded were Corporal Kipkurui Kosgei (bruises on the left hand and general pain), driver Police Constable Hillary Kiplagat (bruises and pain), National Police Reservists Jibril Aliow Omar (bruises on hands and abdomen), Abdi Ali Issack (cut above the left eye and pain), Hussein Issack Mohamed (cut above the left eye, plus abdominal and leg injuries), and Ali Noor Issack Sheikh (right hand injury and back pain). The remaining members of the 15-officer team were unharmed and stable.
Authorities confirmed the incident via police report OB NO. 9/13/03/2026. Security forces, including personnel from the Kenya Defence Forces, promptly arrived at the location to assess the situation and initiate pursuit operations against the perpetrators. The attack highlights the persistent security challenges in border regions prone to Al-Shabaab activity, where such IED ambushes remain a common tactic.
