Three Injured After IED Explosion at Mandera Town Hotel
At least three people were injured on Saturday evening following an explosion at a food joint in Mandera Town, in what police believe was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack.
The blast occurred at around 6pm while patrons were gathered inside the establishment, police said. More than a dozen people managed to escape unharmed.
According to police reports, the device was detonated during a busy hour at the hotel, which is frequently visited by non-local residents. The motive of the attack had not been immediately established as investigations continue.
Authorities noted that the region had experienced a period of relative calm due to intensified security operations targeting extremist groups operating along the Kenya–Somalia border.
The injured victims were taken to a local hospital, where they were reported to be in stable condition.
Mandera East MP Hussein Weytan condemned the attack, expressing solidarity with the victims and calling for swift investigations.
This tragic incident has affected our community deeply, and my heartfelt sympathies go out to all those impacted, he said. I urge the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the explosion to ensure the safety and security of our citizens.
Security agencies have since intensified patrols and surveillance within the town and surrounding areas.
The Mandera attack came on the same day Somalia witnessed a major explosion followed by gunfire near the Godka Jilaow investigations facility in Mogadishu. The Somali government later announced that seven al-Shabaab militants involved in the assault had been neutralised, with additional airstrikes conducted in Jilib, Mubarak, Ugunji and Kunyo Barrow.
Somalia has experienced a resurgence of attacks in recent months, as the al-Shabaab insurgency continues to regain territory and step up operations across the country.