WAR ON TERRORISM

IED-making materials recovered from Garissa guest house

Upon thorough search by a multi-agency security team, it was discovered to be IED components.

In Summary
  • The team said the recovery was made following intelligence-led operations.
  • The guesthouse management was interrogated as part of efforts to get the people behind the deadly luggage.
Some of the bomb making materials recovered separately in Alango Warba within Garissa County on September 20, 2024-Handout
Some of the bomb making materials recovered separately in Alango Warba within Garissa County on September 20, 2024-Handout

Multi-agency teams are searching for suspects behind the recovered bomb-making materials from a guesthouse in Garissa Town.

The team said the materials were meant to make an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) for use at an undisclosed place.

A team raided a guesthouse within Garissa Township on September 22 at night and recovered a white sack hidden under the bed in one of the rooms.

Upon thorough search, it was discovered to be IED components.

The safety of the materials was conducted and the components were transferred to the station where it was discovered there were 16 batteries connected in series form, grey plastic containment with residues, and two wires (black and white) attached to one dual battery charge, one black GPS Hormud telecom sim card, Somtel sim card and three high-speed models.

No arrest was made, police said, adding an investigation is ongoing.

The motive is yet to be established.

The team said the recovery was made following intelligence-led operations.

The guesthouse management was interrogated as part of efforts to get the people behind the deadly luggage.

It is believed the owners have escaped to Somalia, police said.

The team suspects those behind the materials had an intention of attacking an undisclosed place.

The materials were photographed and later destroyed.

Security agencies have been conducting operations to thwart any planned terror attack in the country.

More operations are being conducted along the Kenya-Somalia border to address the fears and plans for any terrorist attack.

This has led to the thwarting of many planned attacks, police say.

This comes amid heightened security following fears the terror group could be planning an attack after a long lull.

The border region has borne the brunt of repeated attacks from the militants who are at times aided by locals.

Somalia has not had a stable government after the fall of Siad Barre in 1991.

The area is near the Somalia border and the militants usually cross at will and stage attacks before escaping back.

Al-Shabaab terrorists have been attacking places in the region, especially in Mandera and Garissa counties after breaching security zones, which left dozens of civilians and security officials dead and wounded.

The terrorists have been planting explosives on the routes used by the security agencies. Kenyan troops are in Somalia to pursue and suppress the activities of the terror group.

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