Man linked to Shabaab arrested in a Lamu hospital

Police in Lamu County have arrested a man who is suspected to have links with Somalia-based militant group Al-Shabaab.

Speaking to the Nation on phone, Lamu County Directorate of Criminal Investigation Commander Paul Leting said they had also seized materials suspected to be used for making improvised explosive devices(IEDs).

“It’s true. We are holding a man whom we suspect has relations with terrorists. We are interrogating him and we intend to make more arrests after the interrogations. We have also nabbed some paraphernalia which we suspect to be materials used to make IEDs,” said Mr Leting.

A police source who talked to the Nation on condition of anonymity also said they arrested the man in King Fahad County Hospital's staff quarters.

“We are also trying to understand what exactly he was doing in the hospital staff quarters since he is neither a medic nor a patient,” said the officer.

Lamu County has been a stage for suspected Al-Shabaab attacks that have resulted in deaths of security officers and civilians.

On August 8 this year, six KDF soldiers were killed and five others injured when a vehicle they were travelling in ran over an IED at Kwa Omollo Bride on the Bodhei Bar’oni road.

On August 29, five KDF soldiers were killed and ten others injured after their truck they were travelling in ran over an explosive device on the Kiunga-Sankuri road.

The officers were on humanitarian assignment to fetch and distribute water to residents when they were attacked.

Currently, a multi-agency security operation is ongoing in Lamu especially in areas bordering the Boni Forest.

The operation which was launched in September 2015 aims to flush out Al-Shabaab militants believed to be hiding in the dense forest.