Hagadera police chief, driver killed in suspected IED attack in Garissa

Hagadera police chief, driver killed in suspected IED attack in Garissa

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 9— The Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) in Hagadera and his driver have been killed after their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device (IED) along the Saretho–Dadaab road in Garissa County.

The two died at the scene of the blast at about 6:00 AM on Friday when a Toyota Land Cruiser attached to Hagadera Police Station hit the explosive device along the main supply route.

The vehicle was extensively damaged in the explosion, according to preliminary incident details.

The attack raises fresh security concerns along the Dadaab–Saretho corridor, where police and other vehicles operating in the border region face the threat of roadside explosives.

The incident was suspected to be an attack by Al-Shabaab, although no formal claim of responsibility was available at the time of publication.

Security personnel had secured the scene as a follow-up operation was launched.

Further details, including the circumstances surrounding the attack and whether other people were affected, were not immediately available.

The Saretho–Dadaab and Garissa–Dadaab routes are important corridors for security operations and movement of supplies in the region, which borders Somalia and has faced repeated security threats.

Police had yet to issue a detailed public statement on the attack at the time of publication.

BRUHAN MAKONG

​Bruhan Makong is a Senior News Reporter for Capital FM in Nairobi, covering diplomacy, foreign policy, national security, climate, and human rights across East Africa and the wider region.