LAMU, Kenya — The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) has announced that its soldiers thwarted multiple suspected terrorist attacks in Lamu County after discovering and safely destroying four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted along key supply routes used by security personnel and civilians.
In a statement issued on Monday, July 20, KDF said the explosives were concealed along major supply routes within its area of responsibility, warning that the devices could have caused significant casualties had they detonated.
“In a series of successful operations, KDF troops thwarted multiple terrorist plots after discovering and safely neutralizing four concealed Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) along Major Supply Routes (MSRs), along critical corridors used by both security forces and local communities in the area of responsibility,” the military said.
The first device was discovered during a route clearance and link-up patrol when soldiers detected a concealed pressure-plate IED hidden along a roadway.
KDF said troops immediately secured the area before conducting a controlled detonation to safely destroy the explosive.
“Demonstrating vigilance and operational expertise, the soldiers immediately secured the area and conducted a controlled detonation, rendering the explosive harmless and preventing what could have been a potentially devastating attack,” the statement added.
A few days later, another patrol operating in the Sarira area uncovered three additional concealed IEDs planted along major supply routes.
According to KDF, the explosives were found approximately 5.1 kilometres, 8.27 kilometres and 8.4 kilometres apart, suggesting a coordinated attempt to target movement along the transport corridors.
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists were deployed to the scene, where they safely neutralised all three devices without any casualties or damage to property.
Terrorists increasingly relying on hidden explosives
KDF said the repeated discovery of roadside bombs reflects a shift in tactics by terrorist groups operating in the region.
The military noted that sustained security operations have significantly weakened militants’ ability to launch conventional attacks, forcing them to increasingly depend on concealed explosives targeting security patrols and civilian traffic.
“It also highlights the effectiveness of intelligence-driven operations, systematic route clearance procedures and the professionalism of KDF personnel, whose constant vigilance continues to deny hostile actors the freedom to operate,” KDF said.
Lamu remains one of Kenya’s frontline counties in the fight against Al-Shabaab due to its proximity to the Somalia border, with security agencies maintaining regular patrols to secure transport corridors and protect local communities.
Fresh counter-terror gains
The latest development comes just days after elite officers from the Special Operations Group (SOG) killed 11 suspected Al-Shabaab militants near the Kenya-Somalia border during an intelligence-led operation.
According to the Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) unit, the militants were part of a group of about 30 fighters allegedly preparing to launch an attack on villages in Mandera County.
The operation, supported by aerial assets, also left seven militants seriously injured while others fled across the border into Somalia.
Security officers recovered three PKM machine guns and 409 rounds of ammunition during the raid.