Saturday October 26, 2019
AMMO SEIZURE: The weapons and ammunition recovered from the two suspects on Thursday evening.Image: STEPHEN ASTARIKO
Two people suspected of involvement in terror activities along the Kenya-Somalia border have been arrested at Liboi.
Three assault rifles and a pistol alongside eight magazines, four pouches of magazines and two military water bottles were found on them during the Thursday evening arrest.
Garissa county commissioner Meru Mwangi thanked the public for informing the police of the suspects who had been patrolling the border region.
“This prompted our officers to start pursuing the suspects,” Mwangi said.
Their nationality was not disclosed to reporters. However, a source who sought not to be named told the Star that the two are Kenyans who committed crimes in the border towns of Diif and Khorof Harar before escaping into the lawless neighbouring country.
The suspects were interrogated by police in Garissa before their transfer to Nairobi. The ammunition found on them was handed over to ballistic experts.
North Eastern regional commissioner Mohamed Birik on Friday said that the hunt for the suspects' accomplices is ongoing.
Mwangi urged the public to continue volunteering information to security agencies for the war on terror and other crimes to be successful.
Thursday's arrest comes barely a fortnight since 11 GSU officers were killed in an IED attack near Liboi.
A multi-agency security team has been combing the area for the culprits and extended the operation to the Dadaab refugee camp.
Al Shabaab terrorists occasionally ambush security teams and plant IEDs on the routes often used by multi-agency officers.
Scores of security officers have lost their lives in the ambushes and attacks.
Meanwhile, a Garissa-based senior Muslim cleric has thanked the government for recognising his advocacy in countering violent extremism.
Sheikh Hassan Abdullahi, who is the chairman of Garissa sub-county peace committee, said his work is defined by what religion demands of the clerics.
Abdullahi was recently awarded a certificate for his peace initiative. He has been at the forefront in ensuring that people understand the Koran.
“Extremist groups have used the Koran to portray Islam as a violent religion intolerant of other faiths,” Abdullahi said.
The cleric was also recognised for reconciling warring Somali clans.
“There is nowhere in the scriptures that says you must kill another person to go to paradise. I have been giving sermons in the mosque and other public forums against terrorism. I thank the President for recognising these efforts,” he said.
The sheikh, who is a member of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), said he will continue preaching peace and against terror in the country.
The cleric said every Kenyan has the responsibility to ensure there is stability in the country. “We have nowhere to escape to in the event of violence.”
Another recent award winner from the region is Shabel Amran Aden. She was recognised as an anti-FGM crusader and a champion of girl child education.