Police Spokesperson Erick Kiraithe displaying seized several explosives including suicide vests, grenades and AK47 firearms at Anti-terrorism police unit headquarters in Nairobi. Photo/BILLY MUTAI
By SILAS APOLLO sapollo@ke.nationmedia.com AND FRED MUKINDA fmukinda@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Friday, September 14 2012 at 23:30
Posted Friday, September 14 2012 at 23:30
IN SUMMARY
- Police issue a new terror alert after seizing a cache of weapons in Nairobi and arresting two men suspected to have Shabaab links
Police have issued a fresh terror alert, saying eight suspects who are at large are planning to carry out deadly attacks in the country.
It followed the arrest of a Kenyan and Somalia national they said had been dispatched by Al-Shabaab to execute the plan, part of which was thwarted on Friday after the officers recovered a cache of explosives they intended to use.
The deadly weapons were found in a house Mr Abdulmajid Yasin Mohamed, 26, and Mr Suleiman Aden, 24, had rented in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate.
They included four suicide bomb vests, 12 hand grenades, four AK-47 assault rifles, 480 rounds of ammunition and two home-made bombs.
“Eight suspects are believed to be part of the syndicate and we shall be circulating their pictures so that anyone who recognises them can give the information to police,” Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said.
A detective close to the investigation but requested anonymity (because he is not authorised to give information to the media) said that terrorists planned to detonate the explosives in churches and other public places Nairobi, Nanyuki and Kisumu.
Besides the explosions, the attackers also planned to spray bullets on those who would survive the bombings as well security officers who would respond to the incidents.
The sting operation was carried out at 1am by a crack squad of the Special Crime Prevention Unit. The suspects did not put up any resistance when the officers surrounded the storey building, knocked at their door and ordered them out.
According to police, the recovered suicide bomber vests were similar to the ones used in the July 2010 bombings in Kampala, Uganda, in which 76 people died and many more injured.
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The vests were also fitted with remote controlled switches.
“They were laden with 40 kilogrammes of explosives. And in case a suicide bomber developed cold feet while on the mission, another person could easily trigger it off by placing mobile phone technology,” said Mr Kiraithe.
Detectives from the anti-terrorism Police were yesterday questioning the suspects with the aim of arresting their accomplices and recovering more arms. One of the suspects had a bullet wound and police suspect he sustained it in gun battle in Somalia a few weeks ago.
The Nation established that the suspects had moved into the two-roomed house off the 2nd Avenue about three weeks ago.
Police further said three others had also joined them in the house and all had received military training in Somalia.
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