Two police officers killed in suspected IED attack in Garissa, Kenya
Two senior police officers were reportedly killed on Friday morning 9 October after their patrol vehicle hit a suspected al-Shabaab improvised explosive device in Garissa county, eastern Kenya.
The incident was officially confirmed by Garissa county police commander Samson Chelugo, who stated that the entire border security apparatus was subsequently placed on high alert.
The two victims have been named as the Hagadera sub-county police commander, assistant superintendent of police Stephen Ekirapa, and his driver, corporal David Rotich.
The attack took place as they were driving along the Saretho to Dadaab main supply route and security reports indicate that the officers were using a police Toyota Land Cruiser to track a passenger bus from Hagadera town when the concealed roadside bomb detonated directly beneath their vehicle.
Transport authorities temporarily suspended all civilian and commercial travel along the critical highway corridor to prevent further casualties and tactical reinforcements were deployed to the area to bolster local security forces and reclaim control of the transit route.
The bodies of the deceased officers were successfully recovered from the scene and transferred to a local hospital mortuary. A major security operation across the entire border region was launched to sweep the highway for secondary explosive devices and locate the insurgents responsible for the assault.
