IED Blast Kills KDF Soldier in Elwak

A Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldier was killed on Monday 24, in an explosion caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Elwak, Mandera County.
Four other soldiers sustained serious injuries in the attack near Lafey Junction.

The attack was the second one in less than 24 hours following Sunday’s where a four-wheel drive car was badly damaged in the same area.

Officials said a joint patrol party involving KDF and Special Operations Group encountered a reinforced ambush leading to the death of one KDF soldier at Qura-Qura 15 kilometers outside Elwak.

It is suspected the terrorists helped to plant the explosives on the routes used by the personnel.

Officials usually urge locals to cooperate with the government in ensuring their safety and the area at large.

The attack came barely a week after, police in Mandera East arrested two suspected al-Shabaab operatives on February 18.

The suspects had planned the abduction of a team of foreign nationals working at a sewer line construction site within Mandera township.

Acting on intelligence, the sleuths swiftly arrested the prime suspect who had recently sneaked his way into the country from El-ade in Somalia and forged a number of documents to identify as a Kenyan.

On keen scrutiny and thorough interrogation, it was discovered that the suspect was to pay Sh100,000 to his local associate, who would assist in the abduction exercise before he and another facilitated the to-be victims' movement to El-ade at a Sh300,000 fee.

Consequently, another operation was conducted, where another suspect was cornered and arrested in the Metameta area within Mandera Township by a multi-agency security team.

This comes as Kenya is still negotiating with terrorists who kidnapped six people including five chiefs in Elwak, Mandera.