Gunmen kill 17, injure 50 people in Kenyan church
By Monitor Correspondent
Posted Monday, July 2 2012 at 01:00
Posted Monday, July 2 2012 at 01:00
According to North Eastern Deputy PPO Philip Ndolo, the gunmen attacked and killed two police officers on duty and took their firearms before raiding the churches yesterday.
He said AIC church suffered more casualties as it accounts for most deaths and at least 50 injured persons resulting from gunshot wounds. Catholic’s Central Cathedral had three casualties from a grenade attack.
The dead include four men, eight women and two children. An eyewitness, who was attending church service at AIC church, Mr Dennis Nzioki, said they heard noises from the rooftop. “We heard something like stones being thrown on top of the roof, then, we realised that we were being shot at,” he said.
Another eyewitness, Felix Kimanzi, said the masked gunmen who were wearing blue uniforms sprayed bullets at the congregation of the AIC church resulting in the deaths and the high number of casualties. He also said two grenades were hurled but only one exploded.
“I was 100 metres away from the church when I saw two gunmen at the entrance spray bullets at the congregation. I hid from their sight,” he said, adding: “They were joined by two more gunmen in blue uniforms who hurled grenades and they all fled on foot.”
The injured have been admitted to Garissa Provincial General Hospital. Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka condemned yesterday’s church attacks, noting that they were religious places for worship.
“Places of worship including churches, temples and mosques among others should be respected, it is unfortunate that two police officers assigned at the church were shot and killed,” said Mr Musyoka.
Supreme Council of Kenya (Supkem) national chairman Prof. Abdulghafur El-Busaidy condemned the attacks, saying places of worship should be respected by all. “We detest such acts and as Supkem we are condemning the act from the bottom of our hearts,” Prof. El-Busaidy said.
editorial@ug.nationmedia.com
Gunmen
kill 17 worshippers in Kenya
town
Monday, 02 July 2012 10:16
Nairobi. Terrorists have hit Kenya again. Yesterday, two police officers were among 17 people killed in two simultaneous attacks in Garissa town in the northern part of the country when masked gunmen sprayed bullets and hurled grenades at Catholic’s Central Cathedral and AIC churches, the Kenya Red Cross has said.
According to the North Eastern deputy provincial police officer, Mr Philip Ndolo, the gunmen attacked and killed the two police officers who were on duty. They then seized their firearms and proceeded to raid the churches that were full of worshippers.
He said AIC church suffered more casualties as it account for most deaths and at least 50 injured persons resulting from gunshot wounds. Catholic’s Central Cathedral had three casualties from a grenade attack.
The dead include two police officers, four men, nine women and two children.
Meanwhile, Amref Flying doctors moved in and began airlifting the victims from Garissa to Wilson Airport in Nairobi for specialised treatment. Kenya Red Cross, the Kenya Defence Forces, St John Ambulance all summoned their medical personnel in the region to assist in the emergency treatment. An eyewitness who was attending a service at AIC church, Mr Dennis Nzioki said they heard noises from the rooftop of falling objects.
“We heard something like stones being thrown on top of the roof, then, we realised that we were being shot at,” he said.Another eye-witness Felix Kimanzi said the masked gunmen wearing blue uniforms sprayed bullets at the congregation of the AIC church, resulting in the deaths and the high number of casualties.
He also said two grenades were hurled but only one exploded.
“I was 100 metres away from the church when I saw two gunmen at the entrance spray bullets at the congregation. I hid from their sight,” he said.
“They were joined by two more gunmen in blue uniforms who hurled grenades after which they all fled on foot,” he added. The casualties have been admitted at Garissa Provincial General Hospital.
Following the attacks, Prime Minister Raila Odinga has cancelled a meeting scheduled for today with permanent secretaries and would instead lead a government security team for a visit to Garissa.
Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka condemned Sunday’s church attacks noting that they were religious places for worship. “Places of worship including churches, temples and mosques, among others, should be respected; it is unfortunate that two police officers assigned at a church were shot and killed,” said VP Musyoka.
Development of Northern Kenya minister Mohamed Elmi said the attackers intend to create a religious rift between Christians and Muslims in the country.
“Kenya is an indivisible country and we will not be divided by those who want to create fear within us,” said Mr Elmi, who is also the MP for Wajir East.
Supreme Council of Kenya (Supkem) national chairman Prof Abdulghafur el-Busaidy condemned the attacks saying that places of worship should be respected by all.“We detest such acts and as Supkem we are condemning the act from the bottom of our hearts,” Prof el-Busaidy said.
The Garrisa mayhem comes hardly a week after terrorist attacks claimed three lives in Mombasa. The attacks re-awakened the country to the brutal fact that terrorist groups are on the prowl and they can strike anywhere, anytime.
It rekindled memories of the 1998 bomb attack against the US Embassy in Nairobi and November 2002s detonation of another terror bomb against Israeli-owned Paradise Hotel, Kikambala. In both attacks, just like the recent ones witnessed in Mombasa, Nairobi and Northern Kenya, foreigners and Kenyans alike lost their lives.
Series of attacks that have hit Kenya’s tourism paradise came as a major concern to the country because of the fact that tourism industry is not only Kenya’s lifeline, but also the most vulnerable to all forms of violence.
Anti-terror experts in Mombasa had admitted that the attackers displayed growing sophistication and courage because of evidence that indicated one or two of the missiles could have been launched from a high-powered rifle or shoulder-held launcher from a distance.
