Police Respond to Viral Al-Shabaab Attack Notice in Nairobi
On Sunday, August 27, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) flagged a post warning of an imminent attack by Al-Shabaab terrorists in Nairobi City.
DCI assured Kenyans in a public statement that the alert was bogus and that there was no imminent threat to the country.
“This report circulating in certain media outlets is false,” the DCI stated.
In a letter purportedly written by Peter Nthigah, regional coordinator for the DCI in Nairobi, it was stated that terrorists planned to launch an attack between August and September of this year.
In addition, the report claimed that the extremists were targeting Western military and diplomats in Kenya, as well as the locations where they frequented in the capital.
“The armed attackers, who are believed to be already in Nairobi, plan to detonate suicide vests reinforced with sporadic shooting in crowded places and targeted areas,” the letter stated.
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As a result, security officers have been instructed to increase vigilance and filtering to thwart potential attacks by the militia.
The DCI flagged the report on the same day that Defence Cabinet Security briefed the public on the government’s strategy to combat terrorism.
The CS disclosed, while speaking on Faza Island in Lamu East, that the government had reactivated intelligence and enhanced surveillance systems to detect and apprehend potential threats.
The CS issued a severe warning to members of outlawed terrorist groups and their extremist collaborators: “Your days are numbered.”
The flagged letter follows terror alerts from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The Western nations warned their citizens to exercise caution when traveling to the North Eastern counties, Lamu, and certain areas of Nairobi.
Police Respond to Viral Al-Shabaab Attack Notice in Nairobi