GARISSA –A quiet dawn in Garissa County erupted in gunfire on Monday, as Kenyan security forces killed four suspected al-Shabaab fighters in a pre-planned raid near the Somali border.
The early-morning assault, carried out by the elite Special Operations Group (SOG), targeted hideouts in the rural villages of Najo and Guracho areas long suspected of harboring militants loyal to the Somalia-based group.
What was intended as an arrest operation quickly turned into a firefight.
“They opened fire the moment our officers moved in,” said one senior police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the mission. “We had no choice but to respond. All four suspects were killed in the exchange.”
The National Police Service confirmed the deaths in a statement Tuesday morning, calling the operation “a significant breakthrough” in efforts to disrupt terror cells operating within Kenya’s borders.
Officers recovered four AK-47 rifles, a PKM machine gun, several magazines of ammunition, and handheld radios believed to have been used for coordinating attacks. Other equipment described only as “terror-related materials” was also seized from the scene.
“This is a clear message that we will act decisively against those threatening our national security,” the police statement read.
While authorities hailed the mission as a success, concerns remain about the group’s continued presence in the region. Al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked insurgency based in Somalia, has for years launched attacks in Kenya particularly in areas near the porous border.
In 2015, the group carried out one of the deadliest terrorist acts in Kenyan history, when gunmen stormed Garissa University College, killing 148 people, mostly students.
Security analysts say Monday’s raid is part of a broader shift in Kenya’s counter-terror strategy one that increasingly depends on local intelligence and fast response teams like the SOG.
“There’s been a realisation that static checkpoints aren’t enough,” said Pauline Wanjiku, a regional security analyst based in Nairobi. “This approach moving quickly on solid intelligence is what’s needed to keep al-Shabaab off balance.”
Still, human rights observers caution against the potential for abuse in these high-stakes operations.
“Every raid must be lawful, proportionate, and transparent,” said Hussein Khalid, Executive Director of Haki Africa, a Mombasa-based rights group. “Communities must be partners in fighting extremism, not victims of heavy-handed tactics.”
In Garissa, residents appeared shaken but cautiously optimistic.
“People are tired of living in fear,” said Mohamed Abdi, a shopkeeper in the county’s capital. “If this brings peace, then we support it but we hope innocent people are never caught in the middle.”
Police have urged the public to remain alert and to report suspicious behaviour through official channels. Meanwhile, investigations continue into the identities of the four suspects and their potential links to other cells.
As Kenya remains on high alert, officials say more operations may follow.
“We are determined to protect this country,” the police statement said. “And we will not relent.”
