Friday, August 17, 2012
Three suspected al shaabab members were yesterday killed in Lamu East district in a joint operation comprising Kenya Defense Force soldiers and police at Boni forest. The three were in a group of seven heavily armed militants who had crossed into the country through the Kenya Somalia border.
Coast PC Samuel Kilele said three AK-47 rifles and 60 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the suspects. He said security officers trailed and gunned down the three, who were part of a seven-member group after receiving information from members of the public. "We gunned them and recovered the arms. It is a commendable job,“ said Kilele.
He said four of their accomplices escaped with bullet wounds, adding that police are still combing the area to arrest them. According to police, the seven are suspected to have been planning to carry out major attacks in the country and their killing is a major breakthrough in the war on terror.
The PC said a combined security team comprising the KDF, GSU, regular and Administration Police has been set up to curb the al Shabaab threat on the Kenya-Somalia border especially in Lamu. “We are appealing to locals with any information to share the same with the security apparatus,” said Kilele.
The killing comes just a few days after police arrested three Tanzanians in the same forest over suspected on al Shabab links. The three foreigners, two brothers and a teenager entered the country on the July 28 disguised as preachers. Jamani Ali Muswadiku 30, Mbaruki Sharif Muswadiku 26, and Harun Waziri Tinawa 17 were arrested as they were attempting to sneak into Somali. They were transferred to the Tanzania consulate in Mombasa awaiting deportation. Lamu OCPD Samuel Obara said they are making arrangements to deport to their country. He said the said security has been beefed up on the border.