Kenyan Woman Killed As Somalia Conflict Spills Into Mandera

A Kenyan woman was killed and her daughter seriously injured when an improvised explosive device detonated in Mandera County, near the Somalia border, as fighting between Jubaland forces and Somalia’s federal troops continued to spill into Kenya. Police said the device, suspected to have been abandoned by retreating Jubaland fighters, exploded at the family’s home in Bulla Hawa on Wednesday evening. The clashes, centred in Somalia’s Gedo region, have already displaced hundreds into Kenya, straining local security and humanitarian resources.

Authorities report that since the outbreak of hostilities last month, armed fighters from both sides have repeatedly crossed into Mandera East Sub-County to seek refuge before rejoining battle. The violence intensified after former Jubaland security minister Abdirashid Hassan Abdinur defected to become Somalia’s federal intelligence chief for Gedo, prompting fierce confrontations. Strategic towns such as Balad Hawo, Garbaharey, and Bardere have shifted under federal control, while casualties include Jubaland’s police chief for Gedo, Colonel Hussein Giif.

Kenya’s Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, visiting Mandera on August 9, urged residents to help identify individuals fuelling inter-clan violence and terrorism, warning that both remain major threats to regional stability. Local police have stepped up patrols along the border, but security risks persist as the conflict sends more displaced families into temporary camps managed by the Kenya Red Cross in Mandera town.