Al-Shabaab militant group kill 5 police officers in Kenya

Nairobi, Aug 16 : Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab on Tuesday killed five police officers and injured another during an ambush in Garissa County in Kenya, police said.

Police said an unknown number of Al-Shabaab militia ambushed seven police officers from Bothai Police Station who were on patrol at Alijize which is along Bothai-Ijara road, XInhua news agency reported.

"During the ambush, five police officers were killed, one injured and another one found safe. Their police land cruiser was burnt by the militants," said the officer who declined to be named.

Northeastern Regional Coordinator Mohammed Saleh who confirmed the attack said a combined contingent of security forces from Hulugho are at Alijize and pursuing the militants, while air surveillance has been requested to assist the combined forces.

"We are pursuing the attackers. No arrest has been made so far," said Saleh.

Several areas in the northeastern Kenya that borders Somalia have been the target of Al-Shabaab terrorists who kill innocent citizens, as well as security officers and other government officials, using either gunfire or grenades.

The region is also prone to attacks where police officers including civilians have lost their lives or sustained injuries when patrol cars run over landmines or grenade attack

The East African nation faces insecurity as bomb attacks using improvised explosive devices and grenades have been hurled in the coastal region of Lamu and Nairobi since Kenyan soldiers entered Somalia in 2011 to secure the shared border with Somalia.