NAIROBI (SD) – Kenya government said more than 15 al-Shabaab militants have been killed in an explosion in an area near the country’s border with Somalia amid its forces stepped up security operations in northern region.

In a statement, Kenya  Defense Forces (KDF) spokeswoman said the militants died after a vehicle they were traveling in ran over an IED suspected to have been buried on a roadside in Lamu  county.

She said that the incident happened at 9:30am between Sarira and Ras Kiamboni near Ishakani in Lamu County. 

“The vehicle ran over an IED killing the 15 on the spot in Lamu near the border with Somalia,” a statement by Esther Kioko, the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) spokesperson said. 

It is not yet clear who planted the IED on the roads but al-Shabaab has been carrying out IED attacks Kenyan  forces 

Al-Shabaab has not yet commented on the death of its fighters in the blast.

The development comes amid hundreds of Kenyan Security forces were deployed in areas alongside Kenya’s border with Somalia.

Kenya sent troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight al-Shabaab militants who were accused of kidnapping of tourists from coastal areas of the East African nation.

Currently, Kenya has thousands of troops who work under the framework of African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom).