Kenya Defence Forces officers on patrol in Boni Forest, Lamu County. On Saturday, KDF soldiers, police reservists and General Service Unit officers repulsed suspected Shabaab militants who tried to ambush a GSU camp at Basuba in Lamu.
Security agencies say they repulsed an attempted night ambush by suspected Shabaab militants against a General Service Unit (GSU) camp at Basuba in Lamu’s Boni Forest.
The suspected terrorists, who had divided themselves into three groups, also attempted to raid the Basuba village on Saturday but were reportedly overpowered by National Police Reservists (NPR). Basuba village is home to over 300 people, mostly from the Boni community.
The GSU camp, which was targeted first by the attackers, is about 50 metres away from the village. Speaking to the Nation yesterday, Lamu County Commissioner Wesley Koech said more Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) and GSU officers were deployed to pursue the attackers.
The entire Boni Forest region was already under tight security surveillance owing to the ongoing multi-agency security operation—Operation Amani Boni.
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The national government launched the operation in September 2015 to flush out Al-Shabaab militants hiding in the dense forest.
“The attackers tried to sneak into the GSU camp at Basuba on the night of Saturday at around 10.45pm. Our officers were alert. A fire exchange ensued. The attackers were overpowered and fled to the Boni Forest. No causality was reported,” Mr Koech said.
Currently, the al-Shabaab terrorist group poses the greatest terrorist threat to Kenya, with an elevated threat level in the border regions between Kenya and Somalia.
He said because of the bushy nature of Basuba village and the overall Boni Forest area, the security agencies could not arrest any of the attackers. He said shortly after the criminals were overpowered, they tried to enter Basuba as they fled but were repulsed.
“They headed towards Kiangwe, only for them to divert along the way and went towards Baure. But our officers are in pursuit to ensure they completely pacify the situation. There’s no cause for alarm,” Mr Koech added, calling on residents to share information with the security agencies to help neutralise the enemy.
He warned locals against providing the militants with hideouts. “We don’t want to feel as if the enemy is finding comfort among residents. Don’t shield the enemy. People should come out and share information to enable us to fight and defeat the enemy.”
Residents interviewed by the Nation said they heard gunshots that lasted for almost two hours. Tora Ware, an elder at Basuba, said the militants used a Rocket Propelled Grenade to hit the GSU camp but missed the target.
“We heard bangs twice, coming from the direction of the GSU camp. They were too loud. It was like an explosion. What followed minutes later were continued gunshots. The GSU fought the Shabaab for almost two hours from around 10pm to 12am,” he said. “Shortly after, the gunshots were directed towards our village. We were tense, but we thank the NPR here. They fought courageously and overpowered the enemy. No one was injured here.”
Hassan Gurba, another elder at Basuba, said the Saturday night attack had caused tension among villagers, with many of them forced to stay indoors. By yesterday afternoon, no one had gone to the farm as has been the norm.
“We’re worried the Al-Shabaab might still be within just to harm us. But we’re happy since security agencies can be seen patrolling here. Even now, I can spot a KDF vehicle full of soldiers moving around here,” said Mr Gurba.
Maryam Abala, a resident, challenged the government to ensure security in Boni Forest and Lamu County as a whole now that an ongoing multi-agency security operation has been ongoing for almost a decade now.
The Operation Amani Boni (OAB) was initially dubbed ‘Linda Boni’ before undergoing rebranding such as Boni Enclave Campaign, Operation Fagia Msitu, and now OAB.
The operation aims to stabilise Lamu and parts of Tana River, Garissa and Kilifi that border the expansive Boni Forest towards the Kenya-Somalia border.
KDF soldiers on patrol in Garissa. Most common targets of Al-Shabaab are security agents, military patrols, government employees and communication masts.
It is conducted by the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) in conjunction with the National Police Service (NPS) and the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO).
KDF is, however, designated as the lead agency.
“We’ve a very active security operation in place yet we still witnessed recurrent Al-Shabaab appearances and disappearances in our villages. It’s worrying,” said Ms Abala.
The Saturday attempted attack and raid by Al-Shabaab in Basuba comes just a month after a group of more than 100 terrorists raided Mangai Village, also in Boni Forest, in Lamu County.
The attack was conducted on March 15, 2025.
During the 6.30pm incident, heavily armed terrorists gathered locals at one place and lectured them for minutes before distributing date fruits to them as Ramadhan gifts.
No one was injured during the raid.
Basuba Village is about 19 kilometres from Mangai Village.
In August 2015, about 100 suspected Al-Shabaab militants ambushed Basuba Village at around 5am where they preached to the residents for one hour before fleeing to the nearby forest at 6am.
skazungu@ke.nationmedia.com
