Abdi Maalim, director of county’s health services, said that the Mandera hospital received seven bodies and 13 injured people, four of them in a critical condition.

Witnesses quoted by news reports said that gunshots were heard before the explosion.

Meanwhile, the region’s police chief Bunei Rono said that a suspect was arrested with the help of local citizens.

The vehicle was covering the Arabia-Mandera route and the explosion occurred eight kilometers from the destination, before taking the asphalt road.

The incident comes after authorities tightened security on Friday as several Western embassies issued alerts about possible attacks, particularly in Nairobi, the capital.

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