Gunmen Kill 8 in Kenyan Hotel

GARISSA, KENYA — Gunmen shot dead eight people when they sprayed bullets into a hotel restaurant in the eastern Kenyan town of Garissa on Thursday, the Kenya Red Cross said.

The east African nation has suffered a series of grenade and gun attacks since it sent troops into neighbouring Somalia in late 2011 to pursue the al Shabaab rebels linked to al Qaeda.

Though the wave of attacks on the capital Nairobi, the port city of Mombasa, and Garissa has tapered off in recent weeks, the latest incident shows the new government of President Uhuru Kenyatta will still have to wrestle with insecurity.

The Kenya Red Cross said on Twitter that eight people were killed while five others suffered gunshot wounds and were evacuated to a local hospital.

Charlton Mureithi, the regional police chief, said the attack happened at a restaurant called Kwa Chege, adding they were investigating who was behind the attack and trying to establish the number of fatalities.

"Crime is dynamic. We have to establish the motive now," Mureithi told Reuters.

Al Shabaab has been driven from the Somali capital Mogadishu and the major towns, but still controls large parts of the countryside in Somalia. In February, al Shabaab warned Kenya it faced a "long, gruesome" war if it kept up its campaign against the hardline Islamist group inside Somalia.

from VOA News
April 18, 2013

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Somali Islamists execute Kenyan hostage, threaten five more

map by Evan Centanni (www.polgeonow.com)

Somalia’s Shebab insurgents claim to have executed a captured Kenyan soldier and repeated threats to kill five other hostages, the extremists said Friday.
“While the mujahedeen have executed the serving KDF (Kenya Defense Force) soldier, there is still a chance of securing the release of the remaining five prisoners,” the Shebab said in a statement.

The claims could not be verified.

Last month the Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents issued a February 14 deadline ordering Kenya -- whose troops are fighting the Shebab inside Somalia -- to release “all Muslim prisoners held on so-called terrorism charges in Kenya.”

The Shebab, who have previously released videos of Kenyan civil servants they have kidnapped, have said they would execute five hostages within three days unless the Kenyan government buckles to their demands.

Kenya has been hit by a spate of attacks including hand grenade and bombs since it invaded southern Somalia in late 2011 to attack Shebab bases, following a string of kidnappings inside Kenya blamed on the Islamists.

Many of the attacks in Kenya -- including hand grenade blasts in the capital Nairobi -- are blamed on Shebab supporters or Kenyan sympathizers, although the Shebab have not claimed the attacks themselves.

But the once powerful Shebab are on the back foot inside Somalia, having fled a string of key towns ahead of a 17,000-strong African Union force -- which includes Kenyan troops -- which is also fighting alongside Somali soldiers.

Ethiopian troops are also battling the Shebab in the southwest of Somalia.

On Thursday, AU troops and government forces seized the towns of Janalle, Aw Dhigle and Barire, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) southwest of the capital Mogadishu, the latest Shebab bases to fall.

However, the Shebab remain a potent threat, still controlling rural areas as well as carrying out guerrilla attacks in areas apparently under government control.

from AL ARABIYA
Last Updated: Fri Feb 15, 2013 09:44 am (KSA) 06:44 am (GMT)

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Second bomb this week kills three in Nairobi suburb

(Reuters) - A bomb blast in a predominantly Somali district of the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Friday killed three people and wounded at least eight, the Kenyan Red Cross said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack in the run-down Eastleigh suburb, the second explosion there since Wednesday night. Local lawmaker Yusuf Hassan was among the injured, Nairobi's police chief Moses Ombati said.

One Eastleigh resident, Said Abdullahi, said he heard two gunshots followed by an explosion outside a mosque.

"Some of those injured were worshippers leaving the mosque," Abdullahi told Reuters.

Ombati said it was too early to tell whether a grenade or a bomb caused the explosion and it was possible the casualty toll would rise.

Kenyan authorities have blamed Somali militants and their sympathisers for a wave of grenade and gun attacks in Kenya after Nairobi sent soldiers into neighbouring Somalia last year to drive out Islamist rebel fighters with links to al Qaeda.

Kenya's government accuses al Shabaab rebels of making cross-border attacks and blamed the group for the kidnapping of Western tourists and aid workers.

Abdirashid Hashi, a Somalia analyst at the International Crisis Group, said lawmaker Hassan was an open critic of the al Shabaab rebel group's almost six-year campaign against Somalia's Western-backed government.

Tensions have risen in the past two months in Eastleigh, a part of Nairobi commonly dubbed "Little Mogadishu" because of its large Somali population.

"It's too early to say who was behind this ... but I don't think mosques are off-limits to al Shabaab," Hashi told Reuters.

It was not clear if Hassan, a former journalist at the BBC, was the target of the attack.

Mounting insecurity is a growing concern as the region's biggest economy prepares for a presidential election in March, the first poll since a contested 2007 vote which unleashed nationwide ethnic violence.

Unknown assailants on Wednesday detonated a makeshift bomb, apparently by remote control, wounding at least nine people in an attack that appeared to target Kenyan nationals.

In mid-November, a bomb ripped through a commuter minibus as it travelled through Eastleigh in a deadly strike that sparked a day of street battles between Kenyan nationals and ethnic Somalis.

The attacks in Kenya have intensified since Kenyan troops, fighting under the banner of an African Union peacekeeping force, launched an offensive in late September against al Shabaab's last major urban stronghold, the Somali port of Kismayu, forcing the rebels to flee.



from REUTERS
By Richard Lough
NAIROBI | Fri Dec 7, 2012 9:50pm GMT
(Additional reporting by Humphrey Malalo and Noor Ali in Isiolo; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Louise Ireland)

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Kenya: Nairobi Blast Kills Seven

Residents look for survivors inside the wreckage of a passenger mini-bus (matatu) after it was hit by an explosion in the Eastleigh neighbourhood of Kenya's capital Nairobi, November 18, 2012.

The Kenyan Red Cross said at least seven people were killed and 29 injured in an explosion on a minibus in Nairobi. The blast followed several grenade attacks across Kenya blamed on Somali militants and their sympathizers.
It is not yet known what caused the blast that tore through a 25-seat bus in the Eastleigh neighborhood of Nairobi.

Some witnesses and police said they saw an unidentified assailant throw a grenade. A VOA reporter at the scene said it was more likely a homemade bomb.

Whatever it was, the blast was powerful enough to reduce the bus to a blackened, burned out shell.

One witness, Mohammed Qadar Gudle said he felt the blast from 500 meters away. “I saw it, even the land was shaking," he said. "I thought it was an earthquake. So once I saw the car burning out, I ran to the near of it, and I saw almost seven people died and at least 25 injured, badly injured.”

Gudle said fighting broke out on the street following the explosion, as angry mobs turned on the Somali residents of Eastleigh. “So the Kenyan people they started fighting with the Somali members of the community and they started chasing away each other, throwing stones,” he added.

He said the fighting stopped as the police arrived on the scene, but tension remains high. A VOA reporter said neighborhood shops had closed, and residents were staying off the streets.

Kenya has experienced attacks on churches and public places across the country during the past year, including previous grenade attacks in Eastleigh. Police have blamed assailants linked to the Somali militant group al-Shabab, which has vowed to attack Kenya because Kenyan military forces entered Somalia last year to fight against the group.

from VOA News, Gabe Joselow
November 18, 2012

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At least 9 policemen killed, 13 others injured in northwest Kenya

TURKANA, Kenya, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 9 policemen were killed and 13 others seriously injured in an ambush in Samburu north in northwestern Kenya, police confirmed on Saturday.

The police officers said the armed bandits ambushed the police officers who were in a lorry that was pursuing cattle which had been stolen in a raid in Samburu Baragoi.

"Some 9 police officers were killed, 8 seriously injured and three escaped with minor injuries. The policemen were pursuing some cattle which had been stolen in Samburu Baragoi when unknown gunmen ambushed their lorry," the local police said who did not want to be named.

Regional police commander, John Mbijiwe confirmed the incident, saying the police officers were on a mission to recover stolen livestock when they were ambushed by the bandits who sprayed them with bullets.

"The officers were on a mission to recover more than 400 livestock stolen from Samburu by rustlers believed to be from a neighboring community," Mbijiwe said.

Sources said the armed bandits laid an ambush in Lomelok area before spraying the officers with bullets in an attack that baffled the local administration as well as residents of Baragoi.

"Five of the injured have been airlifted to Nairobi for specialized treatment. We have reinforced security in the area and also launched a major manhunt for the bandits," said Mbijiwe.

On Oct. 30, at least 13 people were killed and three others seriously injured in tribal clashes involving two communities a few kilometres from the same area.

Local leaders said the clashes occurred when heavily armed raiders from the Samburu community invaded a village and stole 205 camels and two donkeys during the early morning raid in Samburu County in northwestern Kenya.

Local councilor, Lawrence Lorunyei said the raiders attacked several manyattas and drove away the animals sparking a fierce shootout between the raiders and the residents.

Tension has remained high as the residents' fear that the attacks may continue as the Samburu and Turkana communities' plan of retaliatory attacks.

Divisional police commander, Maurice Makhano said security has been beefed up in the region to quell the violence in the area.

from XINHUA
Editor: Mu Xuequan
2012-11-11 06:01:33

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Grenade Wounds Several at Kenyan Church

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Officials in eastern Kenya say a grenade attack on a church Sunday has wounded at least eight people, some seriously.

The pastor of the Utawala Interdenominational Church in the town of Garissa is reported to be among the victims, along with several police officers. The attack took place at a church inside a police compound.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

Militants have targeted Kenyans since the country's troops were deployed to Somalia to help fight al-Shabab rebels linked to al-Qaida.  Two attacks at churches in Garissa in July killed nearly 20 people.

Authorities are investigating whether Sunday's attackers are linked to Somali militants.

from VOA News
November 04, 2012
---

from REUTERS:
Sun Nov 4, 2012 9:27am GMT
By Abdisalan Mohamed

Blast in Kenya's Garissa injures at least 11: Red Cross

GARISSA, Kenya (Reuters) - A suspected grenade attack on a church in the eastern Kenya town of Garissa injured at least 11 people on Sunday, the Kenya Red Cross and local media said.

Militants have staged several attacks since Kenya sent troops into Somalia a year ago to fight al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab rebels following raids and kidnappings in the border region that threatened tourism and wider regional instability.

Of the 11 injured people at Garissa's district hospital, three were in need of air evacuation and the hospital urgently needed blood, the Kenya Red Cross said.

Mohamed Musa, superintendent of the hospital, told Reuters there had been no deaths reported.

Two television channels said the Utawala Interdenominational Church, in a police compound, had been attacked and that gunfire could still be heard at the scene of the blast. No one from the police was immediately available to comment.

In September, a grenade attack on a church in Nairobi by suspected al Shabaab sympathisers killed a nine-year-old boy. In July, attacks on two churches in Garissa killed 17.

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Kenyan police kill three suspects in al Shabaab raid

Aerial View of Mombasa (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

MOMBASA, Kenya (Reuters) - Police shot dead three suspected supporters of the Somali militant group al Shabaab on Wednesday during a raid in Kenya's turbulent coastal region, in which a police officer also died.

Police arrested a number of suspects and confiscated grenades, AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition at a house in the Likoni area, Coast province police chief Aggrey Adoli said.

Kenya has suffered a series of grenade and gun attacks since it sent troops into Somalia a year ago in pursuit of the insurgents it blames for kidnapping security personnel and Western tourists from its territory.

A local group campaigning for independence for the Coast region has added to tension ahead of a presidential and parliamentary election due in March, the first since a disputed 2007 poll that saw violence nationwide in which more than 1,200 people were killed.

Adoli said the suspected al Shabaab supporters threw two grenades and opened fire when an elite Nairobi police unit burst into their building, seriously wounding four officers. One later died of his wounds in hospital.

"The operation is still on. We have arrested several suspects but it's still too early to say how many until we are through," Adoli told Reuters by phone.

Mwagomba Juma, a youth leader who lives in the area, said heavy gunfire, punctuated by at least two blasts, began in the early hours of the morning.

Dozens of police in bullet-proof vests and armed with automatic rifles combed the neighbourhood as nervous residents peered through their windows, witnesses said.

The instability has kept many foreign tourists away. The number of visitors were down by a fifth in the first eight months of this year, a heavy blow to the tourism sector which is a main driver of east Africa's biggest economy.

In Nairobi, Kenyan police arrested Mohammed Dor, a legislator and prominent Muslim cleric from the coastal region, after he said he had no objection to funding the separatist Muslim Mombasa Republican Council if they approached him.

"He will be charged in a Kenyan court of law on Thursday for incitement to violence," Ireri Kamwende, Nairobi's provincial criminal investigation officer said.

Kenyan authorities have intensified a crackdown on the MRC movement which is seeking independence for the coastal region, a tourism and trade hub. The MRC says the region has suffered decades of social and economic marginalisation.

On Monday, MRC leader Omar Mwamnuadzi and 36 supporters were arrested. Kenya's government said last week it had information that the MRC intended to sow chaos during national school exams that began on Monday.

from REUTERS
By Joseph Akwir
iWed Oct 17, 2012 1:23pm GMT

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Kenya Church Grenade Attack Kills Child, Wounds Others

Kenyan police say a grenade attack at a church in the capital, Nairobi, killed a nine-year-old boy and wounded three other children on Sunday.

Police chief Moses Ombati says he believes the attack is tied to sympathizers of al-Shabab militants in Somalia.

On Friday, Kenyan forces battling al-Shabab in Somalia pushed into Port Kismayo, forcing the Islamist militants to retreat from the largest remaining stronghold.

Police say the children in Kenya were at a Sunday school service at Saint Polycarp Church in Nairobi when someone hurled a grenade into the building.

``We were just worshipping God in church when we suddenly heard an explosion and people started running for their lives but unfortunately we came to realize that the explosion had injured some kids who were taken to hospital and unfortunately one succumbed,'' said worshipper Irene Wambui.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.

Kenya has seen a series of similar attacks on churches since it sent troops into Somalia last year.

In July, gunmen threw grenades and opened fire inside two churches in the eastern town of Garissa, killing 17 people.

President Raila Odinga suggested the attacks were meant to spark tensions between Muslims and Christians.  And he said the violence stemmed from terrorism, not religious conflict.

from VOA News
September 30, 2012

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Kenya: Suicide Bomber Targeted Parliament

The two suicide bombers arrested on Thursday night by Special Crime Prevention Unit and Anti Terrorism Police Unit are part of a larger Al Shabaab sponsored terror gang targeting to blow up Parliament and assassinate a high profile Kenyan politician. The suspects found with a cache of bombs and an assortment of weapons have confessed that one of their targets was parliament.

"They wanted to find their way into Parliament and blow themselves while others targeted a senior politician," said an investigator privy to the probe. Police on Friday morning seized a cache of explosive-laden vests, grenades and automatic rifles in a midnight raid in a an apartment in Eastleigh, Nairobi.

Kenya has been on a heightened state of security since Nairobi sent troops into Somalia to crush al Qaeda-linked insurgents who carried out a double suicide bombing in Uganda in July 2010. Police displayed the six suicide bomber vests, 12 grenades and four AK-47s with more than a dozen loaded magazines.They also seized mobile phones that were to trigger the bombs.

Police said the successful seizure of the weapons was a result of intensive intelligence gathering that also resulted in the arrest of four foreigners with links to the Al Shabaab. It emerged yesterday that the two suspects reached Nairobi on August 10 from Garissa by bus. They bribed their way at the Garissa bridge which is normally manned by police officers who check every passenger and luggage before letting buses and private cars proceed to Nairobi.

They walked on foot after getting off the bus Eastleigh to their hideout. One of the two is a Kenyan whose mother lives in Nairobi and is described by detectives as well versed with the geography of Nairobi and Mombasa. His accomplice, who is of Somali origin, had already acquired a Kenya identity card.

As part of their vile plan, they bought an old maroon Peugeot saloon car for Sh180,000. The car was sold to them by a dealer near the Holy Family Basillica. They did not ask for a logbook. Their leader had informed that Thursday was the day for the evil mission. But their vehicle broke down when loaded with the explosives and they were advised to abort the mission.

They were intent on carrying out bombings similar to the August 1998 bombings in Nairobi that brought down the US Embassy off Moi Avenue. Only this time they would carry out similar bombings in Kampala, Nairobi and Mombasa. In Mombasa they were to explode their bombs at Pirates Club. Investigators said yesterday the bombs had been put together by an expert.

One of the two bombers had been hit by a mortar while in Somalia in the past and was later brought to Nairobi and treated at three top Nairobi hospitals including the KNH. His right hand is partially paralyzed. The operations in Nairobi was complicated and the marks stretch from his shoulder to the elbow.

After recovering he went back to Somalia. Detectives will interview the doctors who treated him in Nairobi. The Kenyan youth was brainwashed by his recruiters and convinced that the United States was bent on destroying Muslims and that he needed to join a special group of Muslims who would defend the faith.

Because of the onslaught by Kenya Defence Forces in Operation Linda Mpaka that turned into Operation Linda Nchi and later culiminated into KDF joining AMISOM, the Al Qaeda linked insurgents have been dislodged from most of their strategic defensive positions. The group now believes that striking Parliament or assassinating a high profile Kenyan politician will help slow down AMISON specifically Kenya Defense forces who have made so much gains as they seek to take over Al-Shababa stronghold of Kismayu.

" Al Shabaab have been defeated in Somalia and have now resolved to bring the war back to Kenya. Their people are planning a major attack in Kenya in the next few weeks. We have obtained information from some of them arrested while crossing into Kenya that they are planning to detonate explosives in Parliament or assassinate a high profile politician and cause upheaval in the country.This people are not good. We are lucky to have arrested the suspects. Things would be different now," a senior intelligence official privy to the arrests a weeks ago said.

Parliament has since stepped up its security and legislators are now only allowed two visitors at a time. Several senior politicians have also had their security improved and have acquired armored vehicles. The suspects who were arrested last Friday, Abdul Majid Yassin, 26 and 24-year-old Suleiman Abdi will appear in court while police and intelligence operatives hunt down eight other suspects on the run.

The suspects have been interrogated and will appear in court today. The suspects were arrested in a room within an apartment with in which they found food, clothes, jerricans and three mattresses with no furniture. Some of the bombs recovered were mounted on the suicide vests with connections to mobile phone batteries.

Police said the connections to mobile phones, which were also recovered, showed that the attackers would have ignited the explosions from far in case the suicide bombers failed to detonate them. Al Shabaab have threatened to detonate bombs and grenades in Nairobi and other major towns since last October when the Kenya Defence Forces entered Somalia in pursuit Al-Shabaab militia group who had repeatedly kidnapped tourist and foreign aid workers from Kenya.

from allAfrica/The Star (Nairobi)
By Dominic Wabala, 17 September 2012

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Kenyan police seize suicide vests, say thwart attacks

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenyan police seized a cache of explosive-laden vests, grenades and automatic rifles in an overnight raid on a Nairobi apartment on Friday, thwarting an imminent attack by Somali Islamist militants, a senior police official said.

East Africa's biggest economy has been on a heightened state of security since Nairobi sent troops into Somalia to crush al Qaeda-linked insurgents who carried out a double suicide bombing in neighbouring Uganda in 2010.

Western embassies in Kenya have warned of potential attacks several times in the last nine months.

"Obviously these are al Shabaab items. This is a very organised team that is ready to cause big problems in the country," Moses Ombati, Nairobi's deputy police chief, told reporters at the apartment where the weapons were seized.

"They were about to start executing their mission," he said.

Acting on a tip-off, officers from the Crime Prevention Unit raided an apartment in the capital's Eastleigh district, dubbed "Little Mogadishu" because of its large ethnic Somali population, and arrested two men.

As the dawn call to prayer rang out from nearby mosques, police displayed the six suicide bomber vests, 12 grenades and four AK-47s with more than a dozen loaded magazines.

Wiring could be seen protruding from wrapped-up bundles stuffed into the vests. Police said the neatly arranged packages contained explosives and were ready to be used. They also seized several mobile phone they said would likely have been used to trigger the bombs.

The Kampala bombings that killed 79 soccer fans watching the World Cup final were al Shabaab's first on foreign soil and highlighted both their intent and capability to strike beyond Somalia's borders.

Al Shabaab have threatened to bring down skyscrapers in the Kenyan capital. Counter-terror experts have doubted their ability to wage such a large-scale strike, but say they would have the capacity to attack soft targets such as bars and hotels.

"We believe they were intending to attack (sites) where there are big crowds, such as super markets, bars, churches and bus stations," Ombati said.

Kenya has been dogged over the last year by a wave of explosions and gun attacks blamed on al Shabaab and their sympathisers in Nairobi, the port city of Mombasa and towns along its porous border with Somalia.

from REUTERS
By Kariuki Maina
Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:30am GMT

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AMISOM forces kill 36 Al-Shabaab fighters in Somalia

NAIROBI, Sept. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Africa Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) killed at least 36 Al-Shabaab militia late Friday as the troops took over Miido town in a fierce exchange of fire that last several hours in southern Somalia.

Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir said on Saturday that five KDF soldiers are missing in action while three sustained injuries and have been flown to Dhobley to receive treatment.

"AMISOM forces together with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia soldiers in Sector 2 captured Miido town and neutralized at least 36 Al-Shabaab militants," Chirchir said in his official Twitter account.

Chirchir said that during the battle with the insurgents, AMISOM forces comprising of Kenyan and Somali soldiers also managed to destroy seven Al-Shabaab technical vehicles and logistic supplies while other assorted weapons and ammunitions were recovered.

The development came as the military has stepped up security along Kenya's common border with Somalia following an outbreak of fighting between AMISOM forces and the Al-Shabaab militia.

The Kenyan forces currently under the command of AMISOM are dealing with specific targets against the Al-Shabaab, but security had been reinforced on the Kenyan side of the border.

Sources said that during the battle, the Kenyan fighter jets and helicopter gunships fired bombs at the militants inflicting heavy injuries on the militants.

The sources said hundreds of the insurgents blamed for bomb and grenade attacks on the Kenyan soil including abduction of foreigners had left the strategic port city of Kismayo to prevent Kenyan and Somalia forces from deriving them from their last stronghold.

The AMISOM forces have been very active this week after killing more than 40 militants earlier in the week as they stepped up their onslaught to rid off the Horn of Africa from Al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab has vowed reprisal attacks in Kenya, mainly targeting security forces in border towns of northern Kenya where dozens of people have been killed in landmine and grenade attacks blamed on the militant group.

Al-Shabaab has said it views the presence of Kenyan troops in southern Somalia as an act of war.

The group which has teamed up with global terror network al Qaida is now vowing an all-out war in Kenya, in protest against the military incursion "against our brothers in Somalia."

Kenya has seen several hit-and-run grenade attacks in recent months in the capital, Nairobi, and in northern Kenya and in the port city of Mombasa. The Kenyan authorities often blame such attacks on al Qaida-affiliated Al-Shabaab rebels from neighboring Somalia.

The east African nation launched cross-border incursion into Somalia last October in pursuit of the militants blamed for a series of grenade and landmine attacks in Nairobi, Mombasa and northern region.

The authorities have called on Kenyans to be vigilant over terror attacks because of higher numbers of foreign fighters who sneaked into the country.

from XINHUA
2012-09-01 23:25:2

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73 Shabaab Killed, KDF Suffers Two Fatalities in Somalia (+video)

Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) have killed 73 Al Shabaab militants in an attack at a remote region of Fafadun in Somalia, a military source said on Thursday.

"There was an attack in Somalia at a place called Fafadun. Seventy three Al Shabaab were killed and there are two KDF casualties," the source said.

Three other KDF soldiers were wounded in Thursday afternoon's attack.

The KDF headquarters in Nairobi referred our queries to AMISOM which is the umbrella body for all the troops fighting Al Shabaab in Somalia.

The wounded soldiers were expected in Nairobi later on Thursday after being airlifted from the battleground.

"It was a very violent confrontation because the Al Shabaab militants were heavily armed and ready for war. Forty AK-47 rifles were seized from the slain militants," a source told Capital FM News from Somalia.

The KDF soldiers who are part of the AMISOM force are preparing for a major assault in the coming days when they will liberate Kismayu, a key stronghold for the militant group.

On Tuesday, the United Nations warned of an impending assault on the southern Somali port of Kismayu, the largest remaining stronghold of the country's Al-Qaeda linked Al Shabaab insurgents.

"Fighting for control of the town appears imminent," said Mark Bowden, the top UN humanitarian aid official for the war-torn nation, noting reports of recent naval artillery bombardment as well as air strikes.

African Union troops, Ethiopian forces and various Somali militia forces have wrested a string of towns from the hardline Al Shabaab, with the capture of Kismayu - a crucial revenue source for the fighters - seen as a key target.

Last week, Al Shabaab officials and residents said three civilians were killed by missile strikes on the port, reportedly by a naval barrage from an unidentified ship.

Several foreign navies operate anti-piracy patrols off the coast of the Horn of Africa nation, including European, US, Russian and Chinese forces.

Neighbouring Kenya has smaller vessels operating offshore from Kismayu, supporting its ground troops, who invaded southern Somalia last year, before joining the 17,000-strong AU force.

"I am deeply concerned by recent reports of civilian casualties in Kismayu caused by naval gunfire and air strikes," Bowden said.

"I reiterate my call for all parties to the conflict to make every effort to minimise the impact of conflict on civilians, and to allow full humanitarian access to all people in need," Bowden added in a statement.

The reports of the long-awaited assault come as the corruption-riddled government wraps up eight years of infighting, with a UN-backed selection process for new leaders due to be completed by an August 20 deadline.

Three Ugandan army helicopters en-route to Somalia to support the AU force crashed in Kenya on Sunday leaving seven soldiers dead.

from allAfrica / Capital FM (Nairobi)
By Bernard Momanyi, 16 August 2012

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At least 1 killed, 6 injured in suicide explosion in Kenya

NAIROBI, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and six others injured on Friday night in a suicide explosion in Nairobi, the first since 1998 bombing of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in what security analysts may be related to the Kenyan visit by the United State's Secretary of State on Saturday.

Regional police commander Anthony Kibuchi, who confirmed the incident, said that initial reports show that the deceased wanted to attack a supermarket in Eastleigh residential estate which is mainly inhabited by Kenyans of Somali origin.

"We are still investigating the incident but we suspect the man who had grenade wanted to attack a supermarket which was in Eastleigh First Avenue which lies a few minutes from Moi Air Base, " Kibuchi said.

The police have not yet verified if the dead person was the suicide bomber or a passerby in the populated estate that hosts Somali immigrants in Kenya, about a kilometer away from Moi Air Base, one of the key bases of the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) air wing that is responsible for the custody of the presidential jet and overseeing the capital's air space safety.

But independent sources said the man who had the grenade was the victim of the attack as the object blew up his head and injured six others who were nearby.

"The man who had the grenade tried to throw it at two soldiers from a moving car but it incidentally blew him up before he could release it. The man is the one who died," Samsung Okoyo who was nearby told Xinhua by telephone.

"There was confusion after the explosion but it has been contained. There are soldiers and police at the scene who are trying to gather details of the attack," he said.

The attack widens the mode of operations for the suspected Al- Shabaab terrorists that have preferred throwing grenades into crowds of revellers and Church goers in various parts of the country.

In one of the most recent incidents, the suspected terrorists also staged a shoot-in at a Church in Garrisa, the main town near the shared border with Kenya killing 18 people.

The latest attack which occurred a few minutes before 19:00 local time came as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was due in the country on Saturday.

Clinton who is visiting some African nations is expected to hold talks with senior government officials including President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Saturday.

Clinton is expected to discuss the political developments in Somalia in her meetings with the Kenyan leaders in Nairobi on Saturday.

The suicide bombing incident presents a change of tactic for the Al-Shabaab militias that have previously been involved in non- fatal attacks against themselves on Kenyans.

It also presents the challenge to Kenya's security forces that have to deal with the new dimension of terror attacks.

The warning comes as the country's security forces have been on high alert across the country especially in northern Kenya over an imminent suicide bombing attack by members of the Al-Shabaab group from neighboring Somalia.

Kenya sent troops into Somalia to battle Al-Shabaab rebels in October 2011 after several attacks, including the kidnapping of a French woman and a British tourist–and the killing of her husband – damaged its key tourism industry.

Kenya's government says armed attacks and kidnappings threaten the country's tourism industry -- a key driver of the economy-- that had bounced back after near collapse following postelection violence four years ago in which more than 1,200 people died.

Al-Shabaab militants have vowed to attack Nairobi after the east African nation which hosted protracted negotiations that culminated in the signing of the federal charter for Somalia in 2005, invaded Somalia to flush out the insurgents it blamed for kidnappings of tourists.

from XINHUA
2012-08-04 03:59:13
Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Kenya: Al Shabaab 'Threaten to Hit During Ramadhan'

Photo: Gideon Maundu/Nation

Muslims in Mombasa say prayers for Eid.

Nairobi — Police have warned of fresh terror threats from Al Shabaab militants who have warned of massive destruction in Kenya during Ramadhan.

Nairobi Provincial Police chief Anthony Kibuchi said they had received intelligence reports that the terrorists plan to hit their targets during the Holy Month of Ramadhan.

"Al Shabaab terrorists have issued threats that they will carry out massive destruction during the month of Ramadhan," Kibuchi said and urged the public to remain vigilant.

"Let everybody be extra alert," he added.

A police source told us "security has been intensified mainly in Nairobi, Mombasa and border towns where the terrorists are targeting."

Security has been intensified in government installations and public places, including hotels, the source added.

The group has in the past months threatened to bring down Kenya's "tall glass buildings" after Kenyan troops crossed into Somalia last October following a spate of attacks and abductions in its territory that it blamed on the militants.

The threats were first issued in May by a US-based private intelligence firm IntelCenter, which reported that the militant group had warned Kenyans that the country "will weep two weeks from now."

The warning came two weeks after the May 28 attack on a Nairobi building housing clothing retail stores that killed one person and injured more than 30 others.

Al-Shabaab insurgents have launched a spate of attacks in Kenya, mainly using grenades and it is believed that these are building up to a larger attack.

On Wednesday, at least four people were wounded in twin grenade attacks in Wajir.

The latest attack by the Al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab occurred at a restaurant and a shop in the town. North Eastern Provincial police Chief Philip Tuimur said no suspect has been arrested.

Tuimur said more officers had been deployed to patrol the region to keep the attackers away.

Security forces have become increasingly targeted by the terrorists, mainly at the border towns. Some of the attacks have also occurred in Nairobi.

Nairobi, Mombasa and towns in North Eastern Province have suffered deadly attacks since late last year, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.

The latest deadly attack occurred in Garissa three weeks ago when suspected militants opened fire and hurled grenades inside two churches, killing 18 people.

More than 60 others were wounded in the attacks.

On Monday, a police officer was killed and his colleague wounded when they were ambushed by people believed to be Al Shabaab militants in Lagdera.

The attack occurred when their vehicle was sprayed with bullets.

Just last week, two police officers were shot and seriously wounded in Mandera in another attack blamed on Al Shabaab militiamen.

The officers who were in a group of three were heading back to Garissa when the militants attacked them in Arabia area, a few kilometers from the border with Somalia.

from allAfrica - CapitalFM
By Bernard Momanyi, 20 July 2012

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Kenya: Four Hurt in Twin Wajir Grenade Attacks

Nairobi — At least four people were wounded in twin grenade attacks in Wajir on Wednesday night.

The latest attack by the Al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab occurred at a restaurant and a shop in the town.

"We are investigating the incident. No suspect has been arrested so far, but we are told they threw the grenades and fled," North Eastern Provincial police Chief Philip Tuimur said.

Tuimur said more officers had been deployed to patrol the region to keep the attackers away.

Security forces have become increasingly targeted by the terrorists, mainly at the border towns. Some of the attacks have also occurred in Nairobi.

Nairobi Provincial Police commander Anthony Kibuchi has urged members of the public to remain vigilant and volunteer any information to authorities.

"Al Shabaab is still issuing threats to cause massive destruction in the city; let us remain extra vigilant," Kibuchi said.

Nairobi, Mombasa and towns in North Eastern Province have suffered deadly attacks since late last year, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.

The latest deadly attack occurred in Garissa three weeks ago when suspected militants opened fire and hurled grenades inside two churches, killing 18 people.

More than 60 others were wounded in the attacks.

On Monday, a police officer was killed and his colleague wounded when they were ambushed by people believed to be Al Shabaab militants in Lagdera.

The attack occurred when their vehicle was sprayed with bullets.

Just last week, two police officers were shot and seriously wounded in Mandera in another attack blamed on Al Shabaab militiamen.

The officers who were in a group of three were heading back to Garissa when the militants attacked them in Arabia area, a few kilometres from the border with Somalia.

from allAfrica - CapitalFM
By Bernard Momanyi, 19 July 2012

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Attacks on Kenyan churches kill 17

NAIROBI, July 1 (Reuters) - Masked attackers killed at least 17 people on Sunday in gun and grenade attacks on churches in a Kenyan town used as a base for operations against al Qaeda-linked insurgents in Somalia.

UPDATED 2 times,
By James Macharia
Sun Jul 1, 2012 7:07am EDT

* Two churches struck by simultaneous grenade blasts in Garissa

* Town is near border with Somalia

* Kenya hit by blasts since sending troops into Somalia (Adds quotes, details, Boko Haram)


At least 45 people were wounded in the simultaneous attacks on Garissa, in the north of the East African country which has suffered a series of blasts since sending troops into Somalia last October to crush Somalia's al Shabaab militants.

"We have 17 bodies at the mortuary so far," regional medical officer Abdikadir Sheikh told Reuters.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Police said they suspected the attacks could have been the work of al Shabaab sympathisers or bandits, but it was too early to say. Inside Somalia, al Shabaab declined comment.

"The goons were clad in balaclavas," regional deputy police chief Philip Ndolo told Reuters from Garissa.

He said a total of seven attackers hurled grenades inside the Catholic Church and the African Inland Church and then opened fire with guns. They struck the churches, which are 3 km (two miles) apart, at around 10.15 a.m. (0715 GMT)

Two policemen were among the dead.

They were the latest attacks on Christian worshippers in Kenya after two people were killed in grenade blasts in March and April.

But Sunday's coordinated attacks on churches resembled the tactics of Nigeria's Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has killed hundreds of people on the other side of the continent.

Other blasts in Kenya have hit nightclubs and bus stations in the capital Nairobi, the coastal city of Mombasa and areas near the Somalia border.

Although a majority of Kenyans are Christian, Garissa is more heavily Muslim.

The town of around 150,000, a market centre for the trade in camels, donkeys, goats and cattle, is largely populated by ethnic Somalis.

"You can imagine for such a small town how the police and medical services have been stretched trying to deal with this," the police's Ndolo said.

Garissa is about 100 km (60 miles) from Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp, where gunmen kidnapped four aid workers and killed a driver on Friday before fleeing towards the border with Somalia.

Last Sunday, three people were killed in a grenade attack at a night club in the port city of Mombasa, a day after the U.S. embassy in Kenya warned of an imminent attack on the city. (Additional reporting by Noor Ali and Feisal Omar)

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Grenade attack in Kenya's Mombasa kills at least one, injures seven

MOMBASA, Kenya, June 24 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and seven others seriously injuries in grenade attacks in a pub in the coastal city of Mombasa on Sunday evening, police and eye witnesses have confirmed.

The incident occurred at 9:45 p.m. local time, which comes a day after the U.S. government warned of an "imminent threat" of a terror attack on Mombasa and urged the American government officials to vacate the port city.

Police and Xinhua reporters at the scene said at least three grenades were hurled inside the Jericho Bar in Mishomoroni, about 8 km from Mombasa town where revelers were having drinks.

"There were at least three grenades which were hurled inside the Jericho Bar situated in Mishomoroni Bamburi of Mombasa. Seven others were injured and have been rushed to the hospital by the Kenya Red Cross Society," an eye witness who requested anonymity told Xinhua on Sunday night.

Local media reported three feared dead in the attacks.

Bomb experts and anti-terrorism police officers have rushed to the scene to secure the place. "We have launched investigations to establish the motive behind the attack," Coast regional Criminal Investigating Officer (CID) Ambrose Munyasia said at the scene.

A statement from the U.S. embassy in Nairobi said it has suspended all U.S. government travel to the coastal city of Mombasa until July 1, adding American private citizens are not subject to the same restrictions but should consider this information in their travel planning.

However, the Kenyan government protested at the travel advisory, terming it an economic sabotage.

"It is a reckless advisory and it was totally uncalled for," Acting Head of the Public Service Francis Kimemia told journalists in Mombasa on Sunday.

Kimemia said the east African nation was playing a pivotal role in ensuring that terrorism and other forms of criminal activities threatening the country's security were minimized if not eliminated.

He termed the ban as unfortunate and urged tourists to ignore it, saying it came at an unfortunate time despite efforts by Kenya to root out terrorism.

Tourism Minister Dan Mwazo confirmed that since the ban was issued, over 100 cancellations to the Kenyan coast have been reported, terming it a big blow to the tourism industry.

Mombasa, the country's second largest city and a major tourist spot is one of various cities targeted by a series of grenade attacks and abduction of foreigners in recent months.

France has also warned its citizens to be "extremely vigilant" in Mombasa.

The warnings came as police are questioning two Iranians detained over suspected links to a terror network planning bombings in the east African nation's key cities.

Kenyan anti-terrorism police on Sunday also arrested two Nigerians without valid documents to be in Kenya and recovered heavy communication gadgets floating along the shore of Indian Ocean in Mombasa, which police suspected are used to make explosive device.

The police said they suspect the Nigerians to be engaging in some unlawful activities in the coastal city and other parts of the country.

from XINHUA
2012-06-25 05:29:18

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Somalia: Four Kenyan Soldiers Wounded in Mandera Landmine Blast

Map showing the distribution of the Afro-Asiatic Somali language in the Horn of Africa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Nairobi — Four Kenyan soldiers were wounded Monday when a landmine exploded beneath their vehicle in the northeastern Mandera region bordering war-torn Somalia, police said.

"Officers have been injured, we have sent a team to investigate," regional police chief Leo Nyongesa said.

"Four officers have been injured, the tanker passed over a landmine," said a police official who was not authorised to speak to reporters.

It was not immediately clear whether the explosion had been triggered by a remote device, nor who was responsible for the blast.

Last month the hardline Shebab warned Kenyaof revenge attacks for sending tanks and troops into Somalia in October.

Kenya has been hit by a series of grenade attacks and explosions, mostly in Nairobi and in northern towns and camps housing Somali refugees close to the border.

Earlier this month attackers launched a deadly grenade attack on a restaurant in the port city of Mombasa.

from allAfrica

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Kenya: One Dead in Mombasa Restaurant Grenade Attack

Mombasa — A woman has died after a grenade attack in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa, police said Wednesday, a day after armed men opened fire and threw explosives into into a restaurant.
"We lost one of the victims, a lady who was a security guard at the club, she died in hospital," regional police chief Aggrey Adoli said.

Three others wounded in the attack are still in hospital, one in a serious condition, following the attack by gunmen late Tuesday.

One gunman opened fire when guards at the restaurant prevented him and two accomplices from entering the Bella Vista restaurant, before the attackers hurled two grenades and fled, Adoli added.

One of the grenades exploded near the entrance to the restaurant and the other near a car parked outside.
"I was having a drink nearby and then I saw people running after a loud blast," said witness Oscar Ndambuki, speaking shortly after the attack.

The restaurant sits on one of the most popular avenues in Mombasa and is a popular gathering spot mainly for domestic tourists.

 There was no immediate information on who was behind the attack.
Since Kenya sent tanks and troops into Somalia late last year, a whole series of grenade attacks and explosions have taken place, both in Nairobi and in northern towns and camps housing Somali refugees close to the border.

Targets have ranged from police vehicles to local bars to churches. The Kenyan authorities often blame such attacks on Somalia's Al Qaeda-affiliated Al Shabaab rebels.

Last month the hardline Shabaab warned Kenya of retribution and revenge attacks for joining the African Union force battling the insurgents.

Earlier on Tuesday, a policeman was killed and two others seriously wounded when a landmine exploded beneath their vehicle as they escorted aid workers near the sprawling Dadaab refugee camp in northern Kenya.

from allAfrica

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One killed, 15 injured in Nairobi grenade attack (+video)

NAIROBI, Kenya – One person was killed and fifteen others wounded after a grenade was hurled inside a church in Nairobi’s Ngara area on Sunday morning.
Police said the incident occurred at about 9 am shortly after the Sunday service kicked off at the God’s House of Miracles International Church.

by BERNARD MOMANYI
from CAPITALFM.CO.KE

Witnesses interviewed told Capital FM News they heard a loud blast before they saw smoke billowing out of the church that is located near Ngara Girls High School.
“I was in my kiosk then I heard a loud blast and smoke coming out of the church. I rushed there immediately and found people screaming for help,” Samuel Kimani who runs a kiosk near the church said.
He said his children attend a church service there but they had not arrived at the time of the attack.
“What came in my mind immediately is my children because they go to church there, but when I arrived there I didn’t find them but there were other people who had been injured and we started helping them out,” he said.
Those wounded are people who had gone for the first service that starts at 7 am and runs up to 9 am.
Worshippers interviewed said they saw a man walk in and sat in their midst.
“He clearly appeared a stranger to me and most of us because the people who attend the morning service are known to each other, but we had no reason to suspect him,” one worshipper who identified himself as Kim said.
Moments later, he said, the man walked out and came back that is when he threw the grenade and ran out.
Some of the people who attempted to pursue him said he whipped out a pistol and pointed it at them.
“He ran very first and kept brandishing a pistol to scare away people, no one could go closer to him,” Elijah Mwangi, who was part of the people who chased the attacker said.
Those injured were admitted to the Guru Nanak and Kenyatta National Hospitals, some with critical injuries.

Nairobi Deputy Police chief Moses Nyakwama said they were working closely with crucial witnesses and church members to get the proper description of the attacker.
“We are confident he will be found, the public is assisting us,” Nyakwama told journalists at the scene
He did not immediately link the attack to the notorious Al Shabaab terror group but said “we cannot rule out anything.”
No suspect had been arrested by Sunday afternoon but detectives involved in the investigation revealed there were crucial leads they were pursuing but they did not give details.
Some of the officers told Capital FM News they will also investigate if the attack was linked to a land dispute.
The incident comes a week after the American Embassy in Nairobi warned of an impending terrorist attack in the capital city.
The Embassy had warned of an attack on government buildings and hotels, warning its nationals to be extra vigilant.
Nairobi has been hit by a series of unclaimed attacks since late 2011. The deadliest blast, on March 10, struck a bus terminal, killing nine people and injuring roughly 60 others.
Kenyan police have blamed the strikes on Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked Al Shabaab Islamists or their sympathisers, claiming the attacks are a response to the Kenyan army’s incursion into Somalia, launched in October.
Nairobi sent troops into neighbouring Somalia following a spate of kidnappings in Kenya, which it blamed on the Islamists.
The operation aimed to curb the Al Shabaab influence in Somalia, where they control much of the south and central region in a country that has lacked a stable government for two decades.

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