Al-Shabaab warns of imminent attacks in Kenya

By Cyrus Ombati

Terror group Al-Shabaab has warned of an imminent attack on Kenya including brining down tall buildings.

A private US based security firm IntelCenter said Al-Shabaab posted threats on a website Wednesday that said "something big is coming" within the next two weeks. The posting said the country would soon "watch your towers coming down."

"Two weeks from now you will weep," the Al-Shabaab threat said.

According to Associated Press the threat is the third time Al-Shabaab has said it would target Kenya's tall buildings.

The first came days after Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October 2011 to fight Al-Shabaab militants. A second threat came in January.

Internal security minister George Saitoti said Al-Shabaab was behind in Monday's bomb attack on shops along Moi Avenue, Nairobi that killed one person and wounded more than 30.

On Wednesday, another explosion hit a small eatery in Wajir, northern Kenya, killing one and injuring three others in the latest such attacks in the country.

On Friday, commissioner of police Mathew Iteere urged police to continue being vigilant and intensify operations that can help taming the threats.

Security was tight at all venues that marked the Madaraka Day celebrations. Hawking was banned in the stadia as part of the measures.

The Intel Center said that the threat of a large attack in Kenya over the next six months is high given the increasing number of threats from Al-Shabaab.

"The towers most likely to be targeted are those housing hotels, especially those frequented by Westerners, government offices, media and prominent corporations. The building volume of threats and low-level activity indicate that such an attack may be attempted sooner rather than later," the Virginia-based IntelCenter said.

Al-Shabaab and al-Qaida formally joined organizations earlier this year, though the ties between the groups were already strong.

Potential terrorism

Al-Shabaab counts hundreds of foreign fighters among its ranks, including fighters with experience in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

In April the U.S. government warned that it continues to receive information about potential terrorist threats aimed at U.S, Western and Kenyan targets inside Kenya.

Security has been tightened on major installations in Nairobi and other major towns amid fears of more attacks.

The attacks have increased since Kenyan troops crossed to Somalia to hunt down the militants who had been blamed for insecurity incidents in the country.

Saitoti says the ongoing threats and attacks are a manifestation of the pressure that the gang is facing inside Somalia.

Police are yet to give a statement on the materials that were used to make the Moi Avenue blast after it was discovered it was an Improvised Explosive Device.