Three Kenyan soldiers were killed Tuesday and several injured when their vehicle was blown up by an improvised explosive device in eastern Lamu county near the border with Somalia, the army said Tuesday.

The soldiers were on patrol along the road between Kiunga and Sankuri when their vehicle struck the improvised explosive device (IED).

“Regrettably, three gallant soldiers succumbed to their injuries,” the Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) said.

The statement said wounded personnel were evacuated to specialised military facilities, and were “responding well to treatment”, without providing more details. Local media reports said there were seven wounded.

The statement added that “multi-agency security teams” had launched investigations.

The area has been plagued by attacks by the Islamist Al-Shabaab group.

In 2018 five soldiers were killed and six wounded in an attack later claimed by the group, which is based in regions of Somalia outside of government control.

The Al-Qaeda-linked organisation has previously claimed several attacks that have killed dozens of Kenyan policemen and soldiers.

The group has been fighting to overthrow the government in Mogadishu for over a decade, and a recent uptick of attacks in Somalia has fuelled concerns of a jihadist resurgence after the militants were forced back in recent years. (AFP)