Bomb Explosion Kills 3 Kenyan Soldiers During Patrol, Militant Al-Shabaab Allegedly Mastermind

JAKARTA - The explosion killed three Kenyan soldiers who were patrolling the eastern region of the country near the Somali border.

Islamist group affiliated with al-Qaeda, al-Shabaab, said on its website two Kenyan soldiers were killed and others injured in an explosion targeting convoys in a similar area on Tuesday, July 15.

But al-Shabaab did not directly claim responsibility.

During the patrol, the soldiers found the Assembled Explosives (IED) on the coastal city streets of 12 km (7.5 miles) from the Somalia border, the military said.

"Unfortunately, three brave soldiers died as a result of their injuries. These soldiers have made the biggest sacrifices," the Kenyan Defense Forces said.

al-Shabaab controls large parts of southern and central Somalia and frequently launch cross-border attacks on military and civilian targets, which security analysts say aims to pressure Kenya to withdraw its troops from peacekeeper missions in Somalia.