GSU officer killed in Mosque chaos

Two people, among them a GSU officer, were feared dead Sunday afternoon after violent clashes between a group of radical youth and police outside a Mombasa mosque.

Police sources said the GSU officer was felled by a bullet fired by one of the rioters at the Masjid Musa Mosque in Majengo. The police also seized various weapons, including a G3 rifle that had earlier been stolen from the slain officer, an AK47 rifle and daggers.

Some of the youth were also feared dead after the skirmishes which started shortly after midday prayers.

The youth had converged at the mosque at 8am for a Jihad meeting which went on for more than five hours.

Conveners of the meeting had last week distributed leaflets inviting youths from all walks of life to take part in the gathering meant to spread jihad ideologies.

PUBLIC AREAS

The one page posters pinned on walls of numerous mosques and other public areas around Mombasa listed laws on Jihad and the rites of martyrs among the topics for discussion.

The youths had hoisted flags resembling those used by Al-Shabaab terrorists at the mosque for the duration of the meeting.

Violence broke out after police arrived and surrounded the mosque to stop the gathering which had been expected to go on until 8pm.

Some of the youths started to pelt the officers with stones and the officers responded with teargas to disperse them.

At about 4:30 pm, plain clothes officers stormed the mosque and arrested several youths who were bundled into waiting vehicles.

Mombasa police commander Robert Kitur directed that the suspects be taken to different police stations for screening and vetting.

“Make sure they are profiled properly before they are taken to court tomorrow (Monday),” he said as he ordered his team.

At 5.20 pm the police found the G3 rifle that had been grabbed from an injured GSU officer who was cornered while pursuing the youths within the mosque before he was knifed in the neck.

After flushing out the last group of about 15 youths, the security officers also seized the AK47, three laptops, hundreds of CDs and three bundles of tobacco among other items.

Following the chaos, the Mombasa County criminal investigative officer Henry Ondieki said the Mombasa County security committee will be meeting either today or tomorrow to discuss the fate of the mosque.

Mr Ondieki said the mosque has been turned into a “radicalising institution”.

“How can you conduct prayers armed with guns, crude weapons and other paraphernalia to cause mayhem and disrupt peace?” he asked.

County commissioner Nelson Marwa warned that they would not allow any religious institution to be used to spread radicalism.

“We have been keeping an eye on Masjid Musa and Sakina mosques for a while and we are not happy with what goes on there from the radicalised Muslim youths,” he said and warned that action would be taken against those found to be breaking the law.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY MWAKERA MWAJEFA