2019 Wajir police attack
| 2019 Wajir police attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of Somali civil war (2009-present) | |
| Location | Between Khorof Harar and Konton, Wajir County, Kenya |
| Date | June 15, 2019 |
| Target |  Kenya Police Reserve |
| Deaths | 12 |
| Perpetrator |  al-Shabaab |
On June 15, 2019, an al-Shabaab IED bombed a vehicle of the Kenya Police Reserve on the road between Khorof Harar and Konton, Wajir County, Kenya. Twelve police officers were killed in the attack.
Background
Northern Kenya, particularly Wajir and Mandera counties, have been prone to incursions from the al-Qaeda affiliated militant group al-Shabaab, based across the border in southern Somalia, for a decade. In January 2019, al-Shabaab militants attacked the Nairobi DusitD2 complex attack in Nairobi, a rare attack in Kenya outside of the north, killing 21 people.[1] A month later, another attack killed three Christian teachers in Wajir.[2]
Attack
At the time of the attack, a Kenyan Police Reserve vehicle was driving between the villages of Khorof Harar and Konton, in Wajir County, when their vehicle hit an IED placed by al-Shabaab.[3][4] The vehicle was chasing after al-Shabaab militants that had kidnapped three KPR officers.[5] Initial reports stated that eleven police officers were in the vehicle, and eight of them were killed.[3] The death toll later climbed to twelve killed, out of thirteen people in the car.[2][4][5]
The Kenyan government launched an investigation into suspected moles within it's ranks after the attack.[6]
References
- ↑ "Kenya attack: 21 confirmed dead in DusitD2 hotel siege". www.bbc.com. 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- 1 2 "Country Reports on Terrorism: 2019". United States Department of State. 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- 1 2 "Roadside bomb kills several police officers in east Kenya". 2019-06-15. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- 1 2 al-Nabhani, Salim Omar Mohamed (2021). "Wajir County Note - Voices of the People: Impediments to Peace and Community Resilience in Wajir County" (PDF). Interpeace. Retrieved July 22, 2026.
- 1 2 "Twelve police officers dead, one injured after IED attack in Wajir, Kenya - Counter-IED Report". 2019-06-15. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ "Kenya: Inside Story - Crackdown on 'Snitch' Officers After Wajir Attack Photos Leak". allAfrica.com. Archived from the original on 2019-06-22. Retrieved 2026-07-22.