Al-Shabaab returnee killed in Kenya's coast

Kenyan police on Thursday shot dead a suspected radical youth as they intensified war against terror in the coastal regional.

Coast regional police boss Francis Wanjohi said the suspect believed to be an Al-Shabaab returnee who was fleeing onslaught from AMISOM forces in southern Somalia was killed by anti terrorism police officers in the coastal city of Mombasa.

Wanjohi said seven other youths were nabbed during the operation and will be charged in court. He said intelligence report indicate the youths are suspected Al-Shabaab returnees recruited to the terrorist group behind past gun and grenade attacks in the tourism resort city.

Wanjohi said the returnees were behind the killing of a night guard in the coastal town Kwale on Thursday. The guard manning the University of Nairobi campus branch in Diani was shot at close range.

He said the returnees especially from Kwale and Likoni areas have sneaked back into the country from Somalia whereby they had undergone training.

"We are worried that returnees could be planning terrorist attacks especially during the Easter holiday. Our officer have deployed more security officers and intensified intelligence gathering," said Wanjohi.

He noted that although the region has recently witnessed reduction of terrorism attacks attributed to the ongoing operation in Linda Boni forest in Lamu, terrorism still remains a major threat.

A 20,000 U.S. dollar bounty has been placed on each of the suspects believed to have sneaked in from Somalia.

Initial reports indicated they were hiding in Majengo, Likoni and Old Town in Mombasa, and in Kwale and Lamu counties. Endit