Eleven Al-Shabaab militants were killed and seven others seriously injured after Kenyan security forces launched an intelligence-led operation targeting a makeshift terrorist camp near the Kenya-Somalia border, thwarting what authorities said was a planned attack on a village in Mandera County.
The Counter Terrorism Policing Authority (CTPA) said the operation was carried out by the elite Special Operations Group (SOG), which launched a ground assault backed by aerial support after receiving intelligence that about 30 Al-Shabaab fighters were preparing to strike one of Kenya's border villages.
According to the Authority, the early morning raid successfully disrupted the planned attack and forced the surviving militants to retreat across the border into Somalia.
"An intelligence-led operation was carried out on an Al-Shabaab makeshift camp near the Kenyan border by the SOG team," the Authority said in a statement. "The ground assault with aerial support was launched on the terrorists numbering about 30 fighters who were preparing to carry out a terror attack in one of the border villages in Mandera County."
The Counter Terrorism Policing Authority said the operation resulted in the elimination of 11 militants, while seven others sustained serious injuries during the assault.
Security officers also recovered three PKM machine guns and about 409 rounds of ammunition believed to have been intended for use in future attacks.
"The early morning assault resulted in the elimination of 11 terrorists and serious injuries on seven extremists. Three PKM guns and about 409 rounds of ammunition were recovered," the statement said.
Authorities added that the remaining militants fled into Somalia following the raid.
The latest operation comes days after Somali special forces captured a senior Al-Shabaab commander during a separate counter-terrorism mission near the Kenya-Somalia border.
The commander was arrested alive in Baghdad town, about 42 kilometres outside Hosingow in Somalia's Sub Sector Central, while three other suspected Al-Shabaab militants were killed during the operation.
Security agencies said the suspect was travelling towards Kenya alongside other militants when they were intercepted.
During that operation, officers recovered an assault rifle, tactical gear, several mobile phones and documents believed to belong to the extremist group.
The back-to-back operations highlight the continued cooperation between Kenyan and Somali security agencies in disrupting Al-Shabaab networks operating along the porous border.
Al-Shabaab has continued to stage attacks in both Somalia and Kenya, particularly in counties bordering Somalia, prompting security agencies to intensify intelligence-led operations aimed at preventing cross-border infiltration and protecting civilian populations from terrorist attacks.