Officers from Kenya’s elite Special Operations Group (SOG) on Monday successfully foiled an attempted terror attack by Al-Shabaab militants in Garissa County.
According to a statement from the Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) unit, the officers intercepted a group of eight militants who were in the process of planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along the Welmerer–Yumbia road following credible intelligence shared by local residents.
“Our elite Special Operations Group (SOG) stopped eight Al-Shabaab terrorists who were attempting to set up IEDs at the Welmerer-Yumbia area in Garissa. The SOG swiftly responded to information reported by the local community that eight terrorists had been spotted attempting to set up IEDs,” the statement read in part.
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The officers engaged the militants in a fierce gunfight, forcing them to flee, and later recovered several assembled explosive devices that were intended for attacks targeting civilians and security officers using the busy road.
“The brave officers engaged the terrorists and managed to recover assembled IEDs, which were to be used to attack our mothers, children, and security officers using the Welmerer-Yumbis road,” CTP added.
The agency lauded Garissa residents for their timely cooperation, which helped security forces foil what could have been a deadly attack.
Authorities have since called for continued vigilance and collaboration between locals and security agencies to help prevent future terror incidents.
The latest operation adds to a series of successful anti-terror offensives by Kenyan forces in recent months.
In August 2025, the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Special Forces killed five Al-Shabaab militants and recovered a cache of weapons during an intelligence-led patrol in Lacta Mangai, within Boni Forest, Lamu County.
The soldiers also destroyed a makeshift terrorist camp and seized AK-47 rifles, RPG launchers, ammunition, solar panels, and explosive-making materials.
Earlier, on June 10, 2025, SOG officers neutralized two Al-Shabaab operatives during a pre-dawn raid along the Alungu–Elwak road in Mandera County.
The militants were caught attempting to plant an explosive device on the busy highway, leading to a fierce gunfight in which security officers recovered two AK-47 rifles, an RPG warhead, and a fully assembled IED.
The Counter Terrorism Policing Unit reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating terror threats across the country, vowing to sustain the ongoing crackdown against militant networks operating along Kenya’s border regions.