Police officers narrowly escape death after running over explosive in Lamu County

GARISSA, KENYA: Police officers from Garissa County escaped death by a whisker after the vehicle they were traveling in, was targeted in an explosive device by suspected al-Shabaab militants marauding the expensive Boni forest.

The officers who were traveling from Bodhai division in Hullugho sub-county and heading Hindi town in Lamu County had their police Land Cruiser run over the explosive, which was strategically planted on their way by militants believed to hiding the dense and expansive Boni forest.

Confirming the incident, the Northeastern regional commissioner Mohamud Saleh said, no officers were injured in the incident which happened in Baragoni in Lamu County at around 9.30 am on Monday morning.

He said the officers left their station in Bodhai in Ijara sub-county in the morning and were heading to Hindi in Lamu on a shopping expedition, when their vehicle stepped over the suspected improvised explosive device (IED).

“Due to their station location proximity to Lamu, our officers usually go to the coastal County which is closer to them for their shopping and other needs. The area has no network and it’s inside Lamu County but, security officers from Hullugho sub-county lead by the area OCPD has left for the scene and we are waiting for the detailed report from which we can share with the media”, He noted.

Saleh said the vehicle was extensively damaged by the powerful impact of the explosive and it has being towed to Lamu County adding that they suspect the assailants to be the al-Shabaab gunmen hiding in Boni forest that extended to Somalia.

The regional commissioner who conceded he had scanty information about the incident since it occurred in an area out of his jurisdiction and which has no mobile network coverage said all officers and other occupancy in the vehicle were safe and evacuated to Hindi town by a respond security team from Lamu County.

However, other unconfirmed report claims two women civilians, who got a hike from the officers could have sustained some injuries after being hit by shrapnel.

In June last year the militia raided the Bodhai border police and injured a security officer and a civilian.

The attackers who were about 100 gunmen attacked, before they were repulsed by the security officers who put up a brave fight.

In the ensuing fierce gun fight one of our officers was slightly injured, while a civilian lady married to one of the officers was hit by bullet ricochet. They also burnt down the police vehicle.