One KDF killed and others injured in landmine Mandera County

A Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier was killed and six others injured when their vehicle drove over an improvised explosive device in Fino Town, Mandera County.

The soldiers were responding to an early morning attack at the town in Lafey sub-County in which suspected Al-Shabaab militants destroyed a communication mast.

Lafey OCPD Bosita Omukolongo told Nation on the phone that the KDF men were leading a combined team of security personnel to the scene .

“We gathered in the morning and decided to go to the scene but our lead vehicle belonging to military was hit by an explosive,” said Omukolongo.

He said when the other vehicles arrived at scene of explosion, the militants started shooting at them prompting a fire exchange.

The Kenyan forces killed one militant in the shoot-out that lasted for at least one hour.

“Something has happened about an hour ago but am yet to get details because the night incident destroyed communication in the area,” said Mandera Police Commander Job Boronjo.

On June 26, another communication mast at Damasa in Lafey was destroyed by Al-Shabaab militants, who then escaped to neighbouring Somalia.

“We are yet to know how many they were since the incident happened at night but all our officers at the scene can be accounted for,” said Mr Omukolongolo.

Fino warn rep Saad Abajano said it was difficult to confirm if there were casualties since communication had been disrupted.

He urged the government to boost security in the area “because the destruction of the mast could be a signal that they [Al-Shabaab militants] are going to attack again.”