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Police seize weapons hidden by Al-Shabaab in NE Kenya

Xinhua, January 19, 2016

• Kenya' security officers have recovered a cache of weapons hidden for use by Al-Shabaab militants at an occupied commercial house in Wajir town in Kenya's northeast region.

  North Eastern regional coordinator Mohamud Saleh who displayed the weapons on Tuesday said two American colt pistols, two live grenades, two detonators, 137 assorted ammunitions, five AK-47 and 3 pistol magazines are believed to have been used in past attacks targeting businesses, non-locals and other armed robberies in the area.

  "The main objective of Al-Shabaab was to expel non-Muslims from Wajir as part of their larger agenda to extend their influence in Kenya," Saleh told journalists.

  IED's are improvised homemade bombs that are constructed by people using any type of material and initiator attached to a detonating mechanism.

  They are common with terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab as they utilize commercial, military explosives, homemade explosives or ordnance components at hand.

  Saleh said the weapons belonged to Mohamed Kuno alias Abu Ali based in Jilib.

  Saleh said Kuno, who hails from Wajir, is a close ally of Mustafah Hato and Mohamed Kuno alias Garmadhere who were behind a spate of terror attacks including one against the Garissa University college where 148 people, mainly students were massacred in April last year.

  "With the help of members of the public who gave us valuable information, we were able to unearth this arsenal of weapons. I urge them to give information that they get to allow us [to] act and respond promptly," Saleh said.

  According to police, Kuno is believed to be very religious and has been a Madrassa teacher for several years.

  Kuno is also credited with having an extensive terrorist network within Kenya, particularly at the Dadaab refugee camp. Kuno claimed responsibility for the November 22, 2014 Makka bus attack in Mandera where 28 people were killed.

  The weapons seized has marked the fourth largest cache of weapons to be recovered in the past 8 months since Saleh took over in May last year at two residential houses in Garissa town and Dadaab refugee camps.

  The East African nation has been continuing to suffer from terrorism. In the recent past, there have been numerous attacks involving shootings, grenades, or other explosive devices in the country.

  Most of these attacks occurred in northeastern Kenya, mainly in Dadaab, Wajir, Garissa, and Mandera counties as well as along the Kenyan coast.

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