Reports indicate that officers drawn from an elite unit of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) earlier this week arrested two members of the Somali terror group Al Shabaab who were reportedly en route to carry out a suicide bomb attack on Nairobi’s Wakulima market. The KDF officers also reportedly recovered a suicide vest from the two attackers who were part of a five-man team trying to sneak across the border. The other three attackers managed to elude capture and return to Somalia.
Kenya commando SO-Units capture 2 top #AlShabaab #Suicide bomber Commanders enroute to conduct suicide attack in Wakulima market in Nairobi
— GiversonSydney (@Giverson_Maina) April 28, 2015
@Olez @GicheruGicheru I am told we may have neutralized a major attack in downtown Nairobi today. Suicide bombers but no official word yet.
— Oliver Mathenge™ (@OliverMathenge) April 28, 2015
@GicheruGicheru@Olez I am told they were two guys who were arrested enroute Nairobi and the target was Wakulima Market. — Oliver Mathenge™ (@OliverMathenge) April 28, 2015
The arrest comes barely a month after four Al Shabaab attackers murdered 148 students at Garissa University College. The report also comes amid increased chatter about Al Shabaab’s intention to execute an audacious attack on a high profile target in Kenya. A leaked intelligence report authored by Nairobi Central Police OCPD Paul Wanjama identified the targets on Al Shabaab’s list as including Kenya’s Parliament and houses of prayer. A Senate staffer was on Sunday arrested to assist officers in investigations regarding his involvement in the plot to bomb parliament.
Ali Abdulmajid Senate staff wanted to facilitate bombing of Kenyan Parliament,wah pic.twitter.com/CCCVExT4ig
— Onyango K’Onyango (@OnyangoKonyango) April 27, 2015
Senate staff arrested over plot to bomb Kenyan Parliament ~~>http://t.co/ZJpRbX0CD1 via @StandardKenya
— modern kenyan corps (@moderncorps) April 27, 2015
Those in the know say Al Shabaab is intent on carrying out an attack using suicide vests.
Intel Reports are that suicide vests are being smuggled to Majengo area, Nairobi to a terror cell which wants to conduct a suicide attack.
— modern kenyan corps (@moderncorps) April 28, 2015
The muted response and the arrest of the two Al Shabaab attackers has received from the local press underlines an important fact about Kenya’s war on terror. The success of our security forces in foiling attacks are often private and un-celebrated but their failures get wall-to-wall coverage. It’s just one of the many things why our men and women in uniform deserve our eternal gratitude.
Updates to follow.
