Police repulse al-Shabaab militants after probing attack on camps in Mandera, Lamu
AL SHABAAB MILITIA.[COURTESY]
Suspected Al-Shabaab militants on Thursday night attempted to attack an Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) camp in Elram, Mandera County, but were repulsed by security officers.
A similar incident happened at a General Service Unit camp in Kiunga, Lamu County.
Officials said the first incident occurred at around 10:23 p.m. on September 10, 2026, at the ASTU Elram Camp.
The al-Shabaab militants had been spotted at Chabicha Hills, heading towards the camp.
The police had already taken defensive positions when the militants launched a probing attack from the eastern side of the camp.
Police said the attackers used rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and AK-47 rifles from a distance of approximately 230 metres from the officers’ defensive positions.
The officers responded swiftly and managed to repulse the attackers.
No casualties were reported.
Security officers were expected to remain vigilant as investigations and efforts to establish the identities and movements of the suspected militants continued.
Police said a similar a probing attack on a General Service Unit (GSU) camp in Milimani, Lamu East Sub-County.
The incident occurred at around 7 p.m. on September 10, 2026.
The attackers fired a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) and several rounds of rifle ammunition at the camp for a few minutes.
The officers responded swiftly and managed to repulse the suspected militants. No injuries were reported in the attack.
Police said the area remained on high alert as security officers continued monitoring the situation.
They come amid persistent security concerns along Kenya’s coastal border with Somalia, where al-Shabaab militants have previously carried out attacks targeting security personnel and civilians.
The encounters come amid continued security concerns along Kenya’s northern border, where security agencies have stepped up patrols and surveillance to deter cross-border attacks by suspected Al-Shabaab militants.
Police and military officers are expected to maintain heightened vigilance in the area as security operations continue.
The incidents are the latest of attacks targeting security agents and installations in the region. Officials say the security operations in the area have been intensified to deter further attacks.
The probing attacks have been on the rise in the past months amid fears there are plans for largescale attack on the security installations.
On July 28, six Kenyan security officers, including five members of the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) and a National Police Reservist (NPR), were killed after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) in Mandera County before coming under attack from suspected al-Shabaab militants.
The incident occurred in the El-Raamo area of Kutulo, along the Alungu Main Supply Route (MSR), near the Kenya-Somalia border, police said.
According to security sources, the IED had allegedly been planted on July 21, with the militants lying in wait for a security patrol before launching the coordinated ambush.
The explosion was followed by a fierce exchange of gunfire between the Special Operations Group officers and the attackers. Five SOG officers and one National Police Reservist were killed during the attack.
The attack underscores the persistent threat posed by al-Shabaab militants operating along Kenya’s porous border with Somalia despite sustained counterterrorism operations by Kenyan security forces.
The area has witnessed repeated cross-border incursions targeting security personnel, communication infrastructure and public transport in recent years.
Kenya deployed the Kenya Defence Forces into Somalia under Operation Linda Nchi on October 14, 2011, following a series of cross-border attacks and kidnappings that threatened the country’s security and tourism sector.
