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Kenya nabs 33 Al-Shabaab militants in four months
[SHABELLENEWS] Kenyan police on Thursday announced the arrest of at least 33 al-Shabaab...  the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...holy warriors between December-March in the ongoing operation Linda Boni in the coastal town of Lamu. Deputy County Commissioner Michael Kioni said 20 holy warriors were tossed in the slammer Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! along the Lamu-Malindi route while 13 were arrested between Garrisa-Lamu road by Kenya security agents. Kioni said the suspects were enroute from Somalia to carry out attacks targeting Lamu and parts of northeastern region when they were intercepted by security agents working on intelligence reports. "We managed to arrest the suspects and thwarted their plans to stage attacks in the country. Majority were Somali nationals and few Kenyans from various parts of the country," Kioni said in Lamu. Last year, 36 suspected al-Shabaab holy warriors were arrested in Operation Boni that was launched in September 2015. The operation targeted the Jeysh Ayman, a 300-member al-Shabaab cell that operated in the forest. The vast Boni forest area, along the Kenya Somalia border extends into Somalia to become Lacta Belt that was infiltrated by al-Shabaab operatives. Head of security operations in the Boni Forest, James ole Serian said the suspects were handed to agencies including the anti-terrorism police unit (ATPU) for profiling and possible prosecution. Serian said the operation has been successful but that the terror group based in Somalia remains a threat. It emerged in July 2015 that al-Shabaab holy warriors had set up permanent base in the vast forest and were living there with their families. The holy warriors and their wives and children hunt game for food and use water from several rivers in the forest. Serian said Lamu will soon be declared a terrorist-free zone following the success of Operation Linda Boni. Posted by: Fred 2017-05-20 |
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