Wanted terror suspect gunned down by police in Malindi

Four suspected Al Shabaab militants were Wednesday morning shot dead by police in a residential house at Kwachocha area in Malindi, Kilifi county.

Among the four killed suspects is wanted terror suspect Suleiman Mohammed Awadh, and whose head police had put a Ksh 2 million bounty.

Malindi OCPD Matawa Muchangi said the suspects were ambushed at around 4AM by a contingent of regular police, administration police and CID officers following a tip-off from members of the public.

Musangi said a gun fire exchange ensued and four of the suspects were shot dead, while two others managed to escape with gunshot wounds.

Police managed to recover a grenade, a knife, a pistol, mobile phones, a map of Malindi, uniforms, IDs, magazines, photos, among other paraphernalia.

According to the OCPD, the suspects were planning to attack several areas in Malindi including Malindi police station, Malindi Marine Park, and Nakumatt supermarket.

Police say another map showed the terror suspects how to escape from Malindi to Boni forest undetected.

The bodies were taken to Malindi District Hospital as manhunt for the two who escaped commenced.

Residents have been urged to remain vigilant and report and suspicious activities.

The incident comes less than a week after Al Shabaab militants orchestrated an attack on two camps in the AMISOM base camp at El Adde in Somalia.

According to Chief of Defence Forces General Samson Mwathethe, vehicles that had been commandeered by suicide bombers were driven into the camp, followed by a number of suicide attacks.

The attack  left an unknown number of Kenyan soldiers dead while scores others were injured and an undisclosed number was taken hostage.

Preident Uhuru Kenyatta has since reiterated Kenya’s commitment to ensuring that Somalia is freed from the oppression of terrorist groups.