Barely a couple of years after the spectacular mall terror attack in the heart of Nairobi, Somalia-based al-Shabaab militants targeted a college campus in the Garissa town of North East Kenya, and opened fire on students and guards, killing at least 147 people and wounding 65. The militants have held hostage an unknown number of Kenyan-Christian students in the university compound.
On April 2, the gunmen rocked the university campus complex shortly after 5 am with heavy gunfire and explosions. They blasted the gate before storming into the university hostel and opened fire blindly before taking hostages. The university had a total of 815 students, and 550 are still accounted for.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers shot indiscriminately at students and teachers who had woken up after the mayhem. Most of the injured had bullet wounds, with four of them at a critical stage. They were airlifted by Kenya Defence Forces to Nairobi for their medical attention.
According to the statement given by Kenya Raid Cross, the militants have been holding an unknown number of hostages, and around 50 students have been freed so far. Ambulances have been continuously driving down to the campus and taking the injured to the hospital.
Somalia’s al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab Group said they are taking revenge for Kenya’s troops fighting in Somalia. They are dividing students in the university on the basic of Muslims and non-Muslims, and setting Muslims student free.
“We sorted people out and released the Muslims. There are many dead bodies of Christians inside the building. We are also holding many Christians alive. Fighting still goes on inside the college.” said Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al-Shabaab’s military operations spokesman.
Kenya has been hit by a series of attack by al-Shabaab militants in recent times. The four-day seige at the Westgate mall in Nairobi in September 2013, had left 67 people dead. Last year in 2041 too, they had hijacked a bus and killed 28 non-Muslims on board.
Kenya’s northern region has been the most affected region, as Kenyan Somalis have been settled here. They operate, recruit and carry out their vicious attack from this region.
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