Police identify slain Mombasa terror suspects

MOMBASA COUNTY: Police have revealed the names of two men killed near the Likoni Ferry Crossing on Friday evening over alleged terror links.

Police alleged that on Friday Benson Mwinyi and James Kariuki Wanjohi were armed with a pistol and grenade and were about to cross the Likoni ferry when they were killed. Security authorities had linked the two to the July 20 killings in Likoni.

"Those are the names on the identity cards we found on them but we are trying to verify if the identity cards are genuine or false," said Mombasa County police commander Robert Kitur.

Mr Kitur said the two fired at police when ordered to alight from a matatu they had allegedly arrived in from Mtwapa in Kilifi County.

Although police say the suspects were resisting arrest, one of them was killed inside a matatu, which police allege the two were trying to hijack after realising they had been surrounded by armed officers.

Upon being flagged down by police to stop as the vehicle approached the ferry, said Kitur, one of the suspects pointed a gun at the driver and tried to force him to drive on after realising the matatu was surrounded.

A witness, Jason Omaya, said he saw three civilian police engage the two people from the matatu.