Kenyan police kill Al-Shabaab suspect, recover 2 grenades
Suspected Al-Shabaab member was killed in Vingirika village, Kwale County by Kenyan police, latest attack in serious of operations to eliminated Al-Shabaab in the coastal region.
Mohamed Bakari was shot dead by Anti-terrorism detectives after he allegedly hauled a hand grenade at the officers.
The police said they recovered two hand grenades from the scene.
According to police records, Bakari, who was an Al shabaab returnee, had made away with a lot of money after killing an Mpesa agent in Likoni.
Msambweni police boss Benjamin Rotich said they had been trailing the suspect who is alleged to have committed several robberies in the area.
“This is a timely incident, we thank members of public for their good participation,” he said.
The police boss also said they were tracking other returnees terrorizing locals.
He is also suspected to be a terrorist operative affiliated to Jaysh Ayman cell – linked to attacks in Boni forest, Lamu County.
The deceased original home is not yet clear but sources said he has been staying in Likoni Mombasa and Msambweni.
“It is not clear where the suspect who is in his late 20s stays at,” a village elder Mwero Tsuma said.
“He does not stay here but sometimes in Likoni and Msambweni. All in all, it’s good that he has been killed before spreading his vice to others,” he said.
The suspect’s lifeless body was down in a pool of blood with his left hand clutching on a hand grenade and herbs which neighbors associated with witchcraft.
“He might also be a terrorist because what he has been doing is associated with terrorism,” the OCPD said.
“We got information on Friday that the suspect together with his accomplices wanted to commit robbery in Msambweni town and that is when we started trailing him but luckily ran away,” he noted.
He said that efforts by police to arrest him were futile as he tried to hurl a hand grenade at them before opening fire.
Rotich lauded the public for availing information and warned other criminal that they will be killed if they do not surrender.
The killing comes after the government announced a Sh2 million reward to any person with information that can lead to the arrest of wanted terrorist Abdullahi Abdi Sheikh.
Abdullahi is accused of plotting a series of terror attacks including the botched assault on Baure KDF camp in Lamu, and police believe is armed and dangerous.