How police foiled terror attack in Nairobi last week

A suspected Al Shabaab militant, who was shot dead by police in Isiolo on February 15, 2018, was planning to lead a terror cell in staging an attack in Nairobi, security agencies have revealed.

Mbarak Abdi Huka is also said to have been a protégé of Sheikh Guyo Goza, who was in January 2018 charged with conspiracy to commit terrorism, radicalization and recruiting youth to the Al-Shabaab terror group.

In a statement to newsrooms, police said on Thursday, February 15, 2018 Mbarak was among four other Al-Shabaab operatives who had a meeting in a vehicle registration number KBM 200D.

Security officers spotted them while on their routine patrol and killed Mbarak on the spot after one of the operatives came out of the car shooting at the police.

Police recovered five AK 47 rifles; 36 fully loaded magazines; one magazine with 22 rounds and one empty magazine; 36 unprimed hand grenades; 18 Improvised  Explosive Devices (IEDs); three military knives; and a black Al-Shabaab flag.

“While in Somalia, the slain Al-Shabaab operative was trained as a foot soldier in Jilib and thereafter settled in Barawe. He rose through the ranks to command his own sub-unit that would terrorize Kenyans in areas along the Kenya-Somalia border, especially within Lamu County,” read the statement.

Mbarak was a person of interest sought after by the police following his involvement in the the Lamu-Tana Delta attacks of June 2014 and  also a KDF base at Baure in Lamu County in June 2015. His take down came as a relief to Kenya’s security officers.

Sheikh Guyo had appealed for a release on bail but the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions opposed the move following allegations that Guyo is a member of the Al Shabaab terror group.