... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...
Islamic fascisti have been placed in durance vile amid reports that the terrorist group planned to carry out attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa over the festive period.
Police commissioner Mathew Iteere said the suspects placed in durance vile on separate days this week belong to a local cell of the group with links to the global Al-Qaeda terror network.
"We've addressed threats in Mombasa and Nairobi. We have placed in durance vile six suspects, two in Mombasa and the others here (Nairobi). We are on high alert and we are going to increase police visibility in public places in those areas," he said.
The local cell of Al-Shabaab operates from Majengo area in Nairobi, according to a past confidential security brief seen by the Nation.
The police chief said the suspects had been interrogated and that his officers were on the look out for others.
"We are talking to them and we cannot allow them to go on with their mission. Every security officer is on the lookout and all such characters will be placed in durance vile," Mr Iteere said.
Security officials privy to police operations told the Nation that the six had on several occasions travelled to Somalia and undergone military training in Al-Shabaab camps in recent years.
The decision to arrest the suspects is understood to have been made after a report prepared by intelligence officers who had been tracking their movements warned the group was planning deadly attacks in Kenya.
The four suspects placed in durance vile in Nairobi are reported to have met regularly in various places in the past week.
The intelligence warned that their meetings pointed to a "dangerous mission on track."
Before the arrests, intelligence officers had also tracked one of the suspects to a busy street at the city centre and believed he was carrying out surveillance for the Al-Shabaab.
The sources told the Nation that the suspect had been seen walking up and down the street on three different days but did not enter any premises.
At one time, he is said to have taken rest at a nearby restaurant but left several minutes later without having ordered a meal or a drink.
Reports of the planned attacks come at a time when the police are concerned that the level of security alertness that had been exhibited by the general public in October had since slackened.