Five police officers were killed and eight others injured by suspected Al Shabaab militants in Boni Forest, Lamu county.

Confirming the incident, Lamu Police Commissioner Wesley Koech said that over 70 Al Shabaab militants attempted to cross the Bodhei-Lamu Border in Garissa before encountering the police officers.

The said SOG officers had been tracking the suspected terrorists for two days. Unfortunately, the officers were ambushed while in pursuit of the terrorists in the Lehelo area, where they came under heavy gunfire from a well- organized attack.

The attack left many officers seriously injured, with police believing that there were casualties on the Al-Shabaab part too.

Police said the injured were evacuated from the forest and flown to Nairobi for specialized treatment.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen who visited the wounded officers at Nairobi West hospital on Thursday condemned the attack.

Murkomen was accompanied by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, DIG (KPS) Eliud Lagat and DIG (APS) Gilbert Masengeli among other senior security officials pledged the government would intensify counter terror- operation in the region.

”Our officers put their lives on the line every day to protect this country. We owe them not just gratitude but real support in terms of better welfare, equipment, and medical care,” Murkomen said.

Meanwhile Murkomen revealed police officer who were injured in Kenya and Haiti operations were also receiving treatment at the same facility.

He also sent his deep sympathies to the families of five officers who lost their lives in recent operations across the country.