Bella Vista terror attack suspect Jamaldin Thabit gets death sentence

The main suspect behind a 2012 terror attack at a hotel in Mombasa has been sentenced to death.

Thabit Jamaldin Yahya was found guilty of carrying out the attack at Bella Vista Club that killed a guard, Mary Cheptrin.

Delivering the sentence Monday, High Court Judge Martin Muya said Yahya was among terror suspects who hauled four hand grenades into  the club and escaped.

Forensic examinations on several items including the suspect’s tooth brush confirmed that he was among the attackers.

FBI investigators had joined Kenyan detectives to investigate the case and employed DNA technology to compile a detailed report.

Grenade safety pins, a pistol, a magazine and nine rounds of ammunition were also recovered from the scene.

This comes just three days after a Mombasa Court detained four terror suspects who were arrested on their way to Libya to join the Islamic State terror group.

The court, before Magistrate Diana Mochache, ordered the four suspects be detained for 30 days to allow police officers conclude their investigations.

The suspects, identified as Mohamed Abdalla Kassim, Faraj Fahim Swaleh, Ali Omar Bwanadi and Kassim Ahmed Ali, are believed to be members of a terror group and are involved in terrorism activities.

Kassim Ahmed Ali’s ID was recovered in a Majengo house during a police raid in January.

Ali Omar Bwanaadi’s ID was also recovered in the house and he was positively identified as one of the house occupants.

Muhammed Kassim Abdalla is alleged to have been a trusted facilitator for the Ismael Shosi’s terror group in Mombasa while Mustafa Kheri Shali and two other ladies’ identities is still unconfirmed.

One of the suspects initially said they were going to Juba and later they would connect to Libya.