MANDERA, Kenya – Three police officers were injured after suspected Al-Shabaab militants attacked a Special Operations Group (SOG) camp in Fino, Lafey Sub-County, Mandera County, on Friday night.
Preliminary reports indicate that the attackers launched an assault on the camp before officers responded and repelled the attack.
According to police, the militants used Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs) and PKM machine guns during the raid.
SOG officers swiftly responded, engaging the attackers in a firefight that lasted approximately 25 minutes before forcing them to retreat.
The injured officers were taken for treatment as security agencies mounted an operation to pursue the assailants.
Security forces have since launched a manhunt for the militants who escaped following the failed attack.
Authorities said additional security personnel had been deployed to the area as operations to track down the attackers continued.
Fino, which lies near the Kenya-Somalia border, has previously experienced attacks linked to suspected Al-Shabaab militants due to its proximity to the frontier.
The latest incident is part of a series of security breaches and attempted attacks reported in Mandera County, a region that has frequently been targeted by the Somalia-based militant group.
On Wednesday, police officers in Mandera foiled another attempted Al-Shabaab attack after suspected militants targeted the Jabi Quick Response Unit (QRU) Camp in Lafey Sub-County shortly after 7pm.
Preliminary reports indicated that about 10 heavily armed militants approached the camp from the north-eastern direction and opened fire in what authorities believe was an attempt to overrun the facility.
The attackers reportedly fired from a distance of about 600 metres, apparently testing the camp’s defensive capabilities, but officers successfully repelled the assault without the militants breaching the installation.
The Special Operations Group (SOG) is an elite multi-agency counter-terrorism unit operating under the Border Patrol Unit (BPU) and works closely with the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in securing Kenya’s borders and responding to high-risk security threats.
