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Grenade detonated in Likoni, suspects nabbed

Some parents, unwilling to take a chance, however pulled their children out of school and military vehicles could be seen carrying out patrols/XINHUA-File

Some parents, unwilling to take a chance, however pulled their children out of school and military vehicles could be seen carrying out patrols/XINHUA-File

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 23 – The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) on Wednesday safely detonated a Russian made grenade found abandoned in the Likoni area of Mombasa and arrested dozens of suspects in an ensuing swoop.

Likoni Police Chief Richard Mureithi said the KDF officers were called in after police were alerted of the grenade by locals.

“This object was sighted there at around 11.20am. We rushed to the scene, cordoned off the area and called the experts who examined the object and found it to be a Russian made grenade – M77,” he recounted.

The suspects, some thought to have criminal records, were picked up when security forces conducted a house-to-house search in the area.

Mureithi however discounted claims that gunmen were planning a subsequent attack in the Likoni area following Sunday’s attack in which four were killed. READ: Kenya police probe hate speech leaflets after port shootings.

Some parents, unwilling to take a chance, however pulled their children out of school and military vehicles could be seen carrying out patrols.

Despite discounting the claims of another planned gun attack on Likoni, Mureithi called on the public to continue to be vigilant and alert the police to the presence of any other grenades given the security threat they posed.

The detonation of the grenade follows the recovery of explosive materials in the Nairobi area of Majengo and the apprehension of four terror suspects after a tip-off from the public. READ: Police in Nairobi arrest 4 terror suspects.

On Monday, acting on intelligence, police in Kwale recovered another grenade and 15 rounds of ammunition, arresting a man in whose possession they were found.

Another, who the suspect in custody is believed to have been hosting, however managed to escape.

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“We carried out the raid after intelligence officers alerted us to the suspicious activities of the two who they had been trailing for a while,” Kwale County commissioner Evan Achoki said.

On the same Monday, eight people were detained in Mombasa on suspicion of involvement in Sunday’s attack on Likoni.

Sunday’s gun attack and Monday night’s killing of two by hooded gunmen in Mombasa’s Majengo area are only the most recent in a spate of gun attacks in Mombasa and Lamu.

Ethnic animosity, religious intolerance and even politics being blamed for the attacks. READ: Lamu Governor charged with murder, terrorism over Mpeketoni.

Labour Cabinet Security and former Kaloleni Member of Parliament Kazungu Kambi on Tuesday however assured Coastal residents that the government would soon have the situation under control. READ: Kambi warns Coast leaders against insulting President.

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