MANDERA, Kenya, June 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan authorities have said an improvised explosive device went off early Saturday in an area along the Somali border, some 2 km from the northeastern town of Mandera, but caused no casualties.
Mandera County Commissioner, Fredrick Shisia, said the incident, which took place at Border Point Three area near custom offices, had targeted security officers manning the border area.
Shisia said there were no casualties as police officers were far from the scene, noting the hole left after the explosion indicated the blast would have caused heavy casualties.
Shisia blamed Somalia-based Al-Shabaab militants for the incident. "We will do anything within our means to disrupt Al-Shabaab attacks and will not leave anything for chance," he told journalists in Mandera.
He said Al-Shabaab was trying to stage attacks in Kenya during the month of Ramadan and that security agents in the region had increased patrols.
The latest incident comes barely a day after police chief Joseph Boinnet warned areas along the Kenya-Somalia border were at higher risk of Al-Shabaab terror attacks.
He said plans were underway to put up street lighting in the border area in order to uncover criminals hiding under the cover of darkness.
According to the country's anti-terror police unit, Al-Shabaab militants have improved the power of their improvised explosive devices by using heavy metallic elements.
