Police kill four most wanted terrorists in Malindi

Police killed four most wanted terrorists in Malindi on Wednesday and recovered a pistol and five hand grenades.

Those shot dead, include Suleiman Mohammed Awadh, on whose head police had put a Sh2 million bounty.

The operation that lasted less than 10 minutes was conducted by officers from the General Service Unit’s Recce Company and the Anti-Terror Police Unit from Mombasa.

When the officers raided their hideout, the suspects, who were also armed, refused to let them in and instead threw a hand grenade at them, as two others fired indiscriminately.

Police suspect they were aware they were being pursued.

“None of the officers was injured in the incident. We had no choice but to open fire on the suspects,” said Malindi OCPD Matawa Muchangi.

Other suspects escaped with severe gunshot wounds in the 2.30am assault, police said. 

ITEMS RECOVERED

Information about the operation conducted about 200 metres from Malindi Airport was shared on a need-to-know-basis as most of the local police officers knew about it after the mission had been accomplished.

Inside the house, police found five hand grenades, a Beretta pistol with nine rounds of ammunition, phones with several SIM cards and ID cards suspected to have been used to register the SIM cards.

Yesterday, Mr Awadh’s mother positively identified his body, while the relatives of Issa Ali, also identified him.

Police had in April 2015 released pictures of nine men, among them Awadh, who were being sought following the Garissa University College attack. And despite being among the most wanted men, Awadh was found in possession of his national ID card.

Reports indicate that the group was planning a terror attack and a map of Malindi, indicating certain places, which police suspect they intended to hit, was found in the house.

STAYING INDOORS

The officers also found another map showing how to connect to Boni Forest from Malindi, a copy of the Quran and 10 newspapers with headlines on Al-Shabaab.

Detectives are also scrutinising a letter recovered from the house that was purportedly addressed to suspected Al-Shabaab financiers, requesting for funds, clothing and food.

At least two suspects armed with AK47 rifles are believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds. 

Several rounds of 7.62mm special, only used by AK47 rifles, were recovered at the scene and have been taken for ballistic examination.

By last evening, two bodies had not been identified but  detectives took the fingerprints to be forwarded to the Registrar of Persons.

The photos of the suspects were circulated and police appealed for the public’s help to arrest them.

Top on the list was Abdifatah Abubakar Abdi, aka Musa Muhajir, who was wanted in connection with the 2014 Mpeketoni bloodbath.

All the suspects — Abdalla Salim Marumu, Mohamed Abubakar Mohamed and Muumin Abdalla Muumin — were from Coast, and were described as “bloodthirsty, armed and dangerous”.

Also wanted is Ismael Shosi Mohamed, aka Ismael Mmanga, who is a member of Al-Shabaab’s Mombasa unit known in security circles as Jeysh Ayman.

He was wanted along (with) others for the killing of Sheikh Mohamed Idriss, who was the chairman of CIPK’s Mombasa branch, among other Muslim clerics.