2LT International News

NAIROBI, Kenya – Five soldiers from the Kenya Defence Forces, that were on a humanitarian assignment to fetch and distribute water to locals, were killed in an explosion that took place in Lamu County. 

According to KDF Spokesperson Colonel Paul Njuguna, the vehicle carrying the soldiers hit an Improvised Explosive Device on the Kiunga and Sankuri Road in Lamu County at around 8 am, after which the explosion occurred. 

Njuguna added that five soldiers had died in the explosion and ten soldiers had suffered grave injuries.

He added that the injured soldiers were undergoing treatment. 

The KDF Spokesperson also said that the soldiers were on a humanitarian assignment to fetch and distribute water to locals when the incident happened.

In his statement, Njuguna said, “We thank the locals who offered assistance to the soldiers and call upon them to assist in weeding out lurking terror elements in their midst, in order to assist in the progressive pacification of Lamu County.”

The Al Qaeda-backed Islamist extremist group, Al Shabaab that has been actively conducting terror attacks in Somalia, has also targeted a section of Lamu County and other areas bordering war-torn Somalia.

Al Shabaab began an insurgency in Somalia a decade ago and regularly orchestrates acts of terrorism throughout the country and border towns.

The group’s insurgents have lately been using IEDs in their attacks and have claimed several such attacks on security officers in the country this year already.

So far, the Kenya Defence Forces have not blamed Wednesday’s attack on any particular group but referenced “lurking terror elements” in the region in their statement.