Kenyan police kill 3 Al-Shabaab suspects in coast region

Kenya's security forces on Sunday killed three Al-Shabaab terror suspects in separate incidents and recovered firearms in the coastal city of Mombasa and Kwale.

Mombasa County commissioner Maalim Mohammed said detectives stormed the suspects' house, killing two after fierce shoot out and recovered a G3 rifle, two magazines, police uniforms, communication gadgets, and a pair of handcuff.

"The G3 was used in a series of robberies and we have been following the two for almost one month now," Mohammed told journalists in Mombasa.

Police also gunned down another terror suspect and recovered two hand grenades in Kwale County. The suspect Mohamed Bakari was shot dead by anti-terrorism detectives after he hauled a hand grenade at the officers.

Bakari, who was an Al-Shabaab returnee, was also involved in robberies targeting M-Pesa (mobile money transfer service) transaction.

Msambweni police commander Benjamin Rotich said they had been trailing the suspect who was alleged to have committed several robberies in the area.

According to police, Al-Shabaab returnees are engaging in armed robberies especially in Kwale County.

"Most of them are desperate and need money to survive hence engaging armed robberies. But we have heightened intelligence and patrols to deal with the gang," said Mohammed.

Police said cases of terrorism have greatly reduced but Al-Shabaab remains a threat in the country. Endit