Three Kenyan soldiers have been killed after their patrol vehicle struck an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) along a road near the country’s eastern border with Somalia, according to a statement from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF).
The explosion occurred on Tuesday morning between Sankuri and the coastal town of Kiunga, located just 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from the Somali border. The military confirmed the loss late Tuesday, stating, “Regrettably, three gallant soldiers succumbed to their injuries. These soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
While al Shabaab, an al Qaeda-affiliated militant group based in Somalia, reported on its website that at least two Kenyan soldiers were killed and others injured in an attack targeting a convoy in the same area, the group did not explicitly claim responsibility for the bombing.
Al Shabaab continues to control significant parts of southern and central Somalia and frequently conducts cross-border raids into Kenya. Security analysts believe these attacks are intended to pressure Nairobi into withdrawing its forces from African Union peacekeeping operations in Somalia.
