One dead, two KDF soldiers injured in suspected Shabaab attack

One of the vehicles burnt in an attack by suspected Al-Shabaab militants on the Lamu-Garissa Lapsset road on Tuesday.

One person is dead while two Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) soldiers are seriously injured after a convoy of vehicles they were in was attacked by suspected Al-Shabaab militants on the Lamu-Garissa Lapsset road on Tuesday.

Four civilians were also injured in the 8.30am attack, the second in a week.

According to a police report, the incident happened 7 kilometres from Bodhai Police Station/GSU camp in Garissa County as the group headed to their work stations from the Chinese camp where they reside.

"A convoy of Chinese and local Lappset workers working on Lamu-Garissa road was attacked by suspected Al-Shabaab militants," read part of a police report seen by the Nation.

It says a fuel tanker was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) from the front, killing one occupant on the spot.

"The second car, a Foton Tipper, was hit from the rear and the other was a pickup which was attacked and burnt down,” the report states.

Just last week, a roadside explosive killed three Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) engineers after the vehicle they were in hit an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the Lapsset road in neighbouring Bura East, Tana River County.

The team was traveling from Garissa to Hailey Chinese Camp then to Bura East.

The situation forced the drivers of the other vehicles to return to Hailey Camp.

The same day, a RPG missed a police General Service Unit vehicle.

Last week, Garissa County Commissioner Boaz Cherutich had reassured area residents that those responsible would be arrested and calm restored.

The spike in attacks on the Lapsset corridor has raised security concerns among workers implementing the project. 

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