In one of the most brazen attacks, masked gunmen opened indiscriminate fire on the congregation at two Churches on Sunday in a northern Kenyan town. As many as 15 people were killed while scores others received critical injuries during the attack. The authorities suspect the terror attacks are carried out by al-Qaeda linked militants based in neighboring Somalia. The gunmen first killed two policemen guarding the Church, snatched their rifles and opened fire on the congregation. No group has claimed responsibility of the attack so far while the authorities are suspecting al-Shabab being behind the attacks.
Security agencies of the country have collected forensic and circumstantial evidence from the crime scene to ascertain whether al-Qaeda linked outfit is behind the attacks or its sympathizers. The Churches were already being guarded following the security threats; but it is unfortunate that terror attacks took place despite the heightened security. There is a need to better equip and train the security forces to deal with terrorists who are usually equipped with sophisticated weapons and better training.
A week ago, the United States embassy in Kenya warned of an imminent attack on the country’s port city of Mombasa after some bomb making material was recovered from Nairobi – federal capital of the country. The embassy also advised all the government staff to leave the place immediately as the US forensic experts suspect a terrorist attack in the area. The crime ratio has sharply increased in the country in the last couple of years, especially after Kenya dispatched its troops to the violence-wracked Somalia to pursue al-Shabab militants. Al-Shabab is considered to be a terrorist organization and linked to al-Qaeda. The outfit is deemed to be cause of various problems of Somalia.
The United States embassy in Nairobi had also issued a travel advisory for its citizens, mentioning that the embassy has received information of possible terror attacks in Mombasa. So, the embassy advised the US citizens to refrain from visiting the country unless there is any urgency. Foreigners especially the US citizens living in Nairobi were also advised to restrict their movement and avoid public exposure to be safe from any unpleasant incident. On the other hand, the Kenyan has lodged a strong protest with the US embassy for issuing travel advisory. The country thinks the advisory is tantamount to ‘economic sabotage’ as the port city – Mombasa’s economy is heavily reliant on tourism.
Mombasa is a huge attraction to foreign visitors. According to a safe estimate, more than 200,000 foreigners visit the port city each year for its scenic beauty and other attractions. Following the terror alert, Kenyan officials believe that tourism industry is bound to face a major setback in the coming weeks and months. Kenyan officials are of the view that the US embassy should not have made the threat public as it had only spread fear and panic not only among the citizens but also the foreigners visiting the scenic port.
