13 People Killed After Matatu Runs Over an IED in Mandera

At least 13 people have lost their lives after the vehicle they were traveling in ran over an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Mandera county.

Seven other people suffered serious injuries in the Monday morning incident that occurred along the Arabia-Mandera highway. The public service vehicle was headed to Mandera town when it hit the landmine suspected to have been planted by Al-Shabaab militants.

Confirming the 6:00 am incident, police spokesperson Bruno Shioso said General Service Unit (GSU) officers on patrol near the scene managed to chase the culprits, who were hiding in nearby bushes.

The incident comes days after a number of Western nations including the US, the UK, Germany, France, and the Netherlands issued warnings of impending terror attacks in Kenya.

The US embassy in a notice urged American nationals and members of the public to take extreme precautions in public locations such as shopping malls, hotels, airports, clubs, restaurants, transportation hubs, schools, places of worship, and other areas frequented by tourists.  

“Public events, such as demonstrations and celebratory gatherings, are also at a higher risk for violence,” the notice read.

France, Germany, and the Netherlands warned of a looming terror attack in the country and urged their citizens to avoid public areas and crowded places.

On Friday, Kenyan authorities allayed fears of impending terror attacks, saying that security had been beefed up in Nairobi and other parts of the country and assured Kenyans of their safety.

Al-Shabaab fighters have been staging attacks in the country in retaliation for Kenya sending troops into Somalia as part of an African Union force to degrade the jihadists.

The al-Qaeda-linked group controls swathes of southern Somalia from where it regularly launches attacks in Somalia and elsewhere. The group is trying to overthrow the internationally-backed government in Mogadishu.