KDF Forces Kill Five al-Shabaab Fighters in Boni Forest Raid

Kenya’s military says its Special Forces killed five suspected al-Shabaab militants in an operation on Tuesday, August 26, in Boni Forest, a dense, remote expanse along the country’s North coast that has long been used as a militant hideout.

According to a statement from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Strategic Communications Office, the dawn raid took place in Lacta Mangai, deep inside the forest, and was guided by intelligence reports. The soldiers overran a makeshift militant camp, killing five fighters while others fled with injuries.

The troops also recovered a significant cache of weapons and supplies, including AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers with warheads, ammunition, solar panels, tents, and assorted materials used for making improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Operation Amani Boni

The raid is part of Operation Amani Boni (OAB), a security campaign launched several years ago to flush out al-Shabaab cells entrenched in Boni Forest. The forest, which stretches across Lamu, Garissa, and Tana River counties near the Somali border, has been a strategic sanctuary for militants crossing into Kenya. Fighters operating there have carried out ambushes on Kenyan security patrols, planted roadside bombs, and staged attacks on civilians in villages and along highways.

Kenya, a troop-contributing country to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), has been battling al-Shabaab both inside Somalia and within its own borders since the group began retaliatory attacks following Kenya’s 2011 military intervention.

In its statement, the KDF said the latest operation was intended to “restore lasting peace and security in the Boni region, ensuring that families can live without fear.” The military urged residents in nearby communities to remain alert and to report any suspicious activity that could help security agencies disrupt militant movements.

“Together, we will exterminate terrorism and ensure a peaceful Boni,” the KDF said.