GARISSA, Kenya, March 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police said Monday that security has been beefed up near the border with Somalia after nine officers were wounded in a roadside blast on Saturday.
In a security report, the police said that the operation in the area will help thwart attempts for further attacks in the region, which is prone to cross-border incursions by al-Shabab militants.
The enhanced security measures came hours after nine police officers were wounded after an armored personnel carrier they were using for patrol ran over an improvised explosive device in Hagadera, Garissa County.
Police said the officers from the elite Special Operations Group (SOG) were in a convoy of two vehicles when the incident happened on Saturday morning. SOG is heavily involved in operations against al-Shabab terrorists active in the larger northeastern region and coastal areas.
The attack on the officers was aimed at slowing their operations, officials said.
The injured officers were airlifted to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, for specialized treatment.
The area is seen as a main breeding ground for al-Shabab militants terrorizing the region at large. The police said security agencies have thwarted dozens of planned attacks and arrested many suspects.
The recent attacks have forced the government to suspend plans to reopen the border with Somalia. ■
