GARISSA, Kenya, May 24 (Xinhua) -- At least three police officers were killed and two others injured on Wednesday when their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) in Garissa county, Kenya.
The police officers were traveling to Liboi town at the border between Kenya and Somalia from Kulan area when their vehicle was hit by the IED, according to a local government official named Mohamud Saleh.
The incident happened at 6:30 am (0330 GMT) and the vehicle was extensively damaged, he added.
The injured were taken to Kulan health center before being flown to Nairobi for specialized treatment.
Regional government official Mohamud Saleh said frustrated Islamist militants are roaming the region after the government security agencies tightened security along the border.
"The militants have found it difficult to carry out attacks as they used to do because all the entry points along the border have been closed. They have now resorted to planting IEDs at selected roads just to target our security officers," said Saleh.
The incident happened barely a week after a vehicle was also blown up by an IED on the same route killing four occupants, including a one-year-old baby.
The government administrator said that the security agencies investigating the terror incidences were pursuing different angles on what could be behind the upsurge of the roadside IEDs.
"There are two theories to this, one is our enhanced security that had frustrated the militants. And the other one is planned re-opening of the Liboi border entry point which is in its finale stages," said Saleh.
"We suspect that some unscrupulous local businessmen who have been wrecking in a lot of profits are working in cahoots with the Al-Shabaab to sabotage the re-opening of the boarder by portraying the main road to the boarder is not safe," said Saleh.
He said that the operation to flush out the militants, which will also include arresting and prosecuting Kenyans citizens abetting terrorism in the area, will continue.
He urged the locals to work closely with security by volunteering actionable information, noting that no amount of threats will dash "our resolve to restore peace in the region."
Saleh added they had scaled up operations in the area following renewed attacks by the terrorists in which at least 10 people have died last week.
The incident came a day after Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet said Al-Shabaab terrorists are under pressure inside Somalia and are escaping to Kenya with an intention of staging attacks.
"These groups are dispatching operatives into parts of Northern Eastern Region to lay IEDs along the routes used by our security patrols in efforts to frustrate our security operations at the border areas," said Boinnet.
He said there is the real risk of local operatives attempting to stage copycat attacks in Kenya following an IED attack in Manchester, Britain.
Boinnet called for public help to contain any planned attack. He appealed for vigilance in public service vehicles, churches, hotels and airports.
