Saturday May 3, 2025
Nairobi (HOL) — At least five Kenyan police officers were killed on Tuesday in a deadly ambush by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Boni Forest, near the Somali border in Lamu County.
The attack targeted members of the Special Operations Group, who were on the second day of a mission pursuing militants believed to be plotting a large-scale assault in the area, according to Kenyan police officials.
Heavily armed gunmen believed to be affiliated with the Al-Qaeda-linked group opened fire on the officers as they moved through the dense forest terrain. The attackers reportedly fled into the forest after the assault.
Several injured officers were airlifted to Nairobi for medical treatment. Authorities have not disclosed their conditions.
Boni Forest, a known hideout for Al-Shabaab operatives, has been the focus of repeated security operations by Kenyan forces attempting to dismantle militant networks along the country’s northeast coast.
Kenyan security officials have renewed calls for public cooperation, urging residents to share intelligence that could help prevent future attacks. They stressed that community support is critical to disrupting Al-Shabaab’s operations in the region.
Kenya has suffered a series of deadly attacks by Al-Shabaab, especially in border regions, since deploying troops to Somalia in 2011 as part of the African Union mission fighting the group.