Donkey-cart bomb kills Kenyan police officer, injures 2 others

By Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) — A Kenya border police officer died on Thursday, while two others sustained injuries, in an improvised bomb attack during a routine luggage inspection, according to local authorities.

The incident, involving an improvised explosive device concealed on a donkey-pulled cart, took place in the town of Mandera on Kenya's northeastern tip, bordering both Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the east.

A statement from the police noted that the explosive device had been tied to the cart and that officers, engaging in standard border security measures, were inspecting the luggage when it detonated.

Mandera area County Commissioner Amos Mariba said the handler directing the two donkeys was not caught in the explosion.

"The donkey operator jumped off before the device exploded at a border crossing point," Mariba noted.

Authorities suspect the involvement of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group, known for launching similar attacks in Kenya since 2011 in response to the country's decision to send troops against it to Somalia.

Mandera county has witnessed similar attacks targeting border police and killing dozens of them along the porous Kenya-Somali border.

Kenya's military intervention in Somalia was prompted by a series of kidnappings, including of tourists and aid workers.

The deadliest attack orchestrated by Al-Shabaab on Kenyan soil was the assault on Garissa University in April 2015, terrorists stormed the university campus, killing over 140 students and leaving many others injured.