Terror suspects die after bombs explode on them

By Cyrus Ombati

GARISSA, KENYA: Two men believed to be suicide bombers died Thursday morning after explosives they had went off in Hagdera refugee camp in Dadaab.

The bodies of the two were found in the early morning hours after the explosions were heard in the area.

Police believe the two who are of Somali origin were bombers but their mission was not clear in the area.

“Their bodies are badly damaged and we believe they were out for a mission. The bombs were Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and they went off on them,” said North Eastern police boss Charlton Mureithi.

He added they suspect the IEDs were to be planted on the roads to target security agents operating there.

The incident happened hours after five people were shot dead and three others seriously wounded when gunmen attacked a hotel in Garissa Town on Wednesday night.

The victims of the shooting include the Garissa deputy prisons boss Allan Njagi who was in the Dunes Hotel at the time of the attack at about 7.30pm. The dead include a manager at the hotel and a woman.

The motive of the attack is yet to be known. Police who arrived at the scene confirmed the three died on the spot while two others died as they were being taken to hospital.

Police believe the attack is the work of sympathisers of Somalia’s Al-Shabaab militants who are operating in the town.

The incident is the latest in a series that have occurred in the area linked to the terror group.

In the past year, there have been over 30 attacks involving grenades or explosive devices in Kenya, leaving at least 76 people dead and around 220 people injured.

The US Embassy in Nairobi has issued yet another travel advisory to its citizens, warning them to be cautious when in Kenya due to heightened terror threats and the high rate of violent crime in some areas.