The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has condemned the recent terrorist attack on a General Service Unit (GSU) team in Banane Area, Garissa County.
The incident occurred yesterday when a GSU Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (M-RAP) vehicle was hit by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), approximately two kilometers from Banane Centre in Damajale location, around 80 kilometers from Liboi police station.
The GSU team, operating from Hamey GSU camp, fortunately escaped unhurt, although their M-RAP vehicle sustained extensive damage to the front part due to the explosion.
Authority’s chairman Anne Makori expressed its well wishes to the injured officers, emphasizing the need for their full and swift recovery.
“As the Authority empathizes with the officers who were injured in the attack and wishes them full restoration of health, it also hopes that the Inspector General of Police and the police leadership will decisively deal with the criminal act committed at Banane,” Makori said.
The authority urged the nationwide implementation and capacity building of Community Policing Committees, emphasizing the crucial role of the public as first-line intelligence gatherers for swift and effective crime management.
This incident marks the latest in a series of attacks in the region, raising concerns about the ongoing threat.
The attacks in the area are primarily attributed to Somalia-based al Shabaab militants, who have targeted both locals and security personnel, leading to casualties, injuries, and hindering development initiatives. The region has witnessed an exodus of non-local teachers due to the persistent threat from terrorists.
In November, four officers lost their lives when their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device on the Dadaab-Fafi road during a routine security patrol. The border region remains vulnerable to repeated attacks, often with local collaboration, posing ongoing challenges to security forces in the area.
