The government has revealed details as to how Al-shabaab terrorists launch attacks on police and military vehicles patrolling volatile areas near the Kenya-Somalia border.
According to government spokesman Cyrus Oguna, the militants launch their attacks from tree tops, where they lie in hiding waiting for their victims.
Once they see an oncoming vehicle, Oguna said, they throw down improvised explosives towards the vehicles.
The Al Shabab terrorists pose on tree tops where they are camouflaged and wait for a vehicle to approach then they throw the IEDs down towards the vehicle. #JeffAndHamoHot@Hot_96Kenya @KoinangeJeff @HamoProf @VDJClyde @teddyeugene
— Spokesperson GoK (@SpokespersonGoK) October 22, 2019
This is contrary to the general assumption that the terrorists plant the IEDs on the ground so that vehicles can run them over, causing deadly explosions.
Oguna added that IEDs used by Al-shabaab attackers are often very strong and hard to detect since they are not signal-based.
Some of the IEDs Al Shabab use are made from some back yards making them strong. This meaning that this are not signal based IEDs making it hard to detect them before detonation.#JeffAndHamoHot@Hot_96Kenya @KoinangeJeff @HamoProf @VDJClyde @teddyeugene
— Spokesperson GoK (@SpokespersonGoK) October 22, 2019
IED attacks on vehicles is a popular war tactic amongst Al-shabaab operatives which has claimed the lives of dozens of Kenyan law enforcement officers.
In October, 10 GSU officers died after their elite unit encountered an IED attack on their vehicle in Liboi, Garissa County, in the latest such attack on security agencies.
Police have since launched a manhunt for one Abdullahi Banati, who is believed to have led the deadly attack against the Recce Squad.
In an interesting twist of fate, 4 militants died in June when an IED they were setting up targeting police vehicles in Lamu County blew up prematurely.
Public concern has been raised over the continuous deaths of police officers patrolling volatile areas despite the government having procured Armoured Personnel Carriers to shield officers from the impact of bomb and gunfire attacks.
Also in the government’s possession is Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles which can withstand the impact of rocket-propelled grenades.