Two police officers were killed on Wednesday and another remains missing after their vehicle struck an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Garissa County.

The attack, which occurred along the Liboi–Kulan road, targeted a Border Patrol Unit (BPU) Land Cruiser on routine surveillance.

Police Headquarters confirmed that in addition to the two fatalities, two officers are in critical condition, while three others are stable and receiving treatment.

Authorities have attributed the ambush to Somalia-based al-Shabaab militants.

Officials report that the attackers planted the device on the roadside and remotely detonated it as the patrol vehicle approached, mangling the cruiser and scattering debris across the dusty road.

The incident shatters a period of relative calm in the North Eastern region, following months of intensified security operations in Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera counties.

This attack comes just weeks after a similar plot was foiled in October.

In that incident, the elite Special Operations Group (SOG), acting on tips from local residents, intercepted militants attempting to plant IEDs on the Welmerer–Yumbia road.

Security officials continue to emphasize that cooperation with local communities remains the most effective tool in intercepting cross-border incursions.