At least eight people were killed in an ambush carried out by militants—suspected to be members of Al-Shabaab—against a convoy escorting workers engaged in a road construction project in the Mandera region of northeastern Kenya.
The attack occurred on Tuesday morning, between 7:00 and 9:00 AM, near the Koromey area—close to Hagarsu—along the road connecting Mandera, Arabia, and Lafey, not far from the border between Somalia and Kenya.
Those killed in the attack included five engineers and workers employed on the road construction project, two officers from the Kenya National Police Reservists (NPR), and the driver of the vehicle escorting the workers.
Reports indicate that seven people died at the scene, while the driver later succumbed to gunshot wounds while being transported to the Mandera County Teaching and Referral Hospital.
Kenyan police stated that armed men opened fire on the security vehicle escorting the construction workers, describing the attack as one specifically targeting the security personnel tasked with protecting the project. Mandera County Police Commander Robinson Ndiwa confirmed the attack, stating that additional forces have been deployed to the scene to pursue the perpetrators and secure the area. Security personnel from various agencies have also launched an operation to track down the attackers.
Meanwhile, Mandera County Governor Mohamed Adan Khalif condemned the attack and confirmed the deaths of eight individuals, including five workers from a road project, two police reservists, and the vehicle’s driver.
No group has officially claimed responsibility for the attack, but Al-Shabaab—which has previously carried out attacks in the border region between Kenya and Somalia—is suspected to be behind it.
Mandera County, which shares a long border with Somalia, has frequently been the site of attacks by armed groups targeting security forces, civilians, and development projects supported by the Kenyan government.