Three Kenya Defence forces (KDF) soldiers have succumbed to injuries sustained from an improvised explosive device (IED) in Lamu County on Tuesday morning.
The incident was confirmed on Wednesday by KDF Spokesperson Colonel Zipporah Kioko.
“These soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice while protecting the citizens of Kenya,” she explained.
The soldiers who were on routine duty at Baure in Lamu were ambushed along the Bodhei-Kiunga road.
The casualties were airlifted to Nairobi for medical care.
The incident happened a day before President Uhuru Kenyatta was slated to open a new Port at Lamu.
According to Colonel Kioko, a multi-agency security team has intensified the pursuit of the perpetrators and is manning all routes in and out of the area to deny the attackers’ movement.
“The multi-agency security teams have intensified the pursuit for perpetrators of the heinous act. In addition to this, the team has heightened the manning of routes into and out of the area to deny the enemy movement.”
Baure area residents have also shared credible information on the identities of the sympathizers and the attackers.
Kioko lauded the courage demonstrated by the soldiers during the attack and appreciated the quick response by other security agencies.
“KDF remains unbowed, and together with the multi-agency security teams deployed under operation, Amani Boni remains focused and has the resolve to help bring sustainable peace in the area,” the spokesperson said.
Earlier this month, at least two people were killed in Lamu county near Somalia when their vehicle ran over an explosive device suspected of being planted by al-Shabab.
The second attack in two months targets vehicles delivering supplies to a construction site where Kenya is building a fence and trenches along the Somali border to prevent extremists, bandits, and undocumented migrants from entering the East African country.
