Kenyan police probe terror suspect in Mombasa

Kenya's anti-terrorism police officers said Friday they are investigating a suspected Al-Shabaab recruiter in the coastal town of Mombasa.

The police said Rashid Juma Mwakimako was arrested on Wednesday alongside four other Kenyan youth in Wajir town in northeastern Kenya while in a commuter bus heading to Somalia.

The four, Abdirahman Mohammed Dida, Ali Ibrahim Sora, Mohammed Ebraham and Yassin Muhamed were the latest batch of Kenyan youth lured to join the Al-Shabaab terror group in Somalia.

According to intelligence report, Mwakimako was recruited by wanted terror suspect Ramadan Kufungwa behind gun and grenade attacks in the tourism resort city.

Police have offered a 20,000 U.S. dollar reward for information that could lead to his arrest.

He is wanted alongside his wife Rukia Mbarak Faraj, involved in the smuggling of weapons and explosives from Somalia as part of preparations for a terrorist attack.

Police said Mwakimako was travelling to Somalia to join Al-Shabaab before returning to recruit more youth in Mombasa.

"He has a relative who is senior Kenya Defense Force (KDF) soldier in Somalia. We believe he is very important for Al-Shabaab network both for planning and be part of Al-Shabaab propaganda team opposing KDF incursion in Somalia," the report said.

The five suspects are currently being held in Wajir and the police have applied for more days to interrogate them.

Regional police commander Francis Wanjohi says Al-Shabaab continues to radicalize youths with learned youth falling prey into the jihadist traps. Endit