KDF kills five Al-Shabaab militants in Boni operation
Several other militants managed to escape with injuries during the operation.
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Special Forces have killed five Al-Shabaab terrorists in an intelligence-led operation in Lacta Mangai, within the expansive Boni Forest.
Several other militants managed to escape with injuries.
According to KDF, the soldiers discovered and neutralized a makeshift terror camp during the raid, recovering weapons used by the militants.
"The operation also resulted in the recovery of al-Shabaab's significant operational items, including AK-47 rifles, RPG launchers with warheads, rounds and ammunition, solar panels, tents, and various materials used for making improvised explosive devices (IED)," said KDF in a statement.
The mission is part of Operation Amani Boni (OAB), which seeks to restore lasting peace and security in the Boni region.
The military emphasized that its efforts aim to ensure families in the area can live without fear.
KDF has called on members of the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to help eradicate terrorism and secure the region.
Lamu County has endured repeated militant, deadly assaults, the most devastating being the June 15, 2014, coordinated raids in Mpeketoni and Kibaoni, where over 90 people were killed.
The Al Shabab group has been fighting the federal government in Somalia for over 15 years and analysts say it has become an increasing threat in recent months.
It has a presence in Boni Forest, which straddles the Kenya-Somalia border and regularly clashes with Kenyan forces there.
The terror group has also carried out several fatal attacks deeper in Kenya in the past, partly in response to Kenya's military involvement against the group in Somalia.
In March 2025, six Kenyan police officers were killed by suspected Al Shabab terrorists who overran a reservist base.
The terror group attacked a police reservist camp at Biyamadhow in Garissa County on the border with Somalia.
