Kenya: Al-Shabaab kills five police officers in Garissa August 15

Event

Suspected Al-Shabaab militants killed five Kenyan police officers in an ambush near Alijize (Garissa county) on Tuesday, August 15. According to police officials, a vehicle carrying seven police officers struck a roadside bomb, which was then quickly ambushed by nearly 100 Al-Shabaab gunmen. The militants attacked the officers roughly 10 km (6.2 mi) from their post at Bothai police station as they were traveling to Ijara, stealing their weapons and destroying their vehicle. Two police officers survived, one of whom was wounded.

The Al-Shabaab militants, who fled the scene after the attack, are being pursued by security forces from Hulugho, and air surveillance has been requested for the operation. Expect intensified efforts by Kenyan police and security forces, as well as by African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops, to combat Al-Shabaab in coming weeks amid the recent rise in Al-Shabaab attacks.

Context

Al-Shabaab has stepped up its activity along the Kenyan-Somali border region in recent months, notably ahead of the Kenyan presidential elections which took place on August 8. On July 17, President Uhuru Kenyatta promised supporters at a rally that the government would increase efforts to eliminate Al-Shabaab militants. At least 45 Kenyan policemen have been killed in similar Al-Shabaab attacks since May.

Al-Shabaab regularly carries out attacks near the porous border with Somalia where the group is based, as well as in coastal areas popular with tourists and the capital Nairobi. The militant group has been effectively at war with the country since Kenyan forces engaged in the international fight against the terrorist group beginning in October 2011. Al-Shabaab, which seeks to topple Somalia's government and impose its own harsh interpretation of Sharia law, says it will continue to carry out attacks in Kenya until Nairobi withdraws its troops from the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

Advice

Individuals in Kenya are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities and to be particularly cautious when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (government buildings, places of worship, tourist sites, etc.). Due to these and other security concerns, many Western governments advise against travel to a number of regions in the country, including areas bordering Somalia (parts of Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, and Lamu counties), Ethiopia, and South Sudan, as well as nonessential travel to the city of Mombasa. Several Nairobi neighborhoods, including Eastleigh and Pangani, are also best avoided.