A contingent of security officers at a past operation in Mandera. [Photo/ pwanifm.co.ke]
Lamu Governor Issa Timamy has urged the government to beef up security in the county following Wednesday's attack on a police vehicle that left four police officers and a civilian dead.
While condemning the attack, Timamy asked police to smoke out terror and criminal elements who want to take advantage of the electioneering period to cause havoc.Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, the governor said terror elements want to scare residents and interfere with the ongoing holy month of Ramadhan.“We want to tell terror agents that we as Muslims and Kenyans will not be cowed by their acts,” said Timamy, as quoted by the Nation.Timamy said terrorism remains a serious challenge and urged the government to devise new tactics of combating the vice.“Terrorists are devising new tricks in their heinous act and our security agencies must be up to date and combat the vice,” he added.On Wednesday, four police officers and a civilian were killed after the vehicle they were traveling in ran over an Improvised Electronic Device (IED) in Baure area, Lamu County.According to police, the border patrol officers died on the spot while the civilian died while being taken to hospital.Lamu County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri said police are pursuing the culprits suspected of being behind the attack.The commissioner said patrols by the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) have been intensified and extended to the nearby Boni forest.Cases of suspected terror attacks have been reported in Mandera and Garissa in the recent days, resulting to the death of 17 police officers.Last week, Mandera Governor Ali Roba’s convoy was attacked, leading to the death of five police officers.The officer’s vehicle is said to have ran over an IED before exploding.