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Kenyan police quizzes 30 over 2 grenade attack in N.Kenya

03 July 2012 22:48 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Kenyan police said on Tuesday they are interrogating over 30 people in connection to the twin churches attacks which killed at least 17 people and injured more than 65 others in northern Kenya,APA reports quoting news.yahoo.ciom website.

Regional deputy police commander Phillip Ndolo said they are following some useful clues that may lead them to the arrest of the perpetrators of the Sunday attacks on two churches in Garissa County.

"We have managed to arrest several people in connection with the twin grenade attacks but currently we are interrogating over 30 people who are giving us some information that may lead us somewhere," Ndolo told Xinhua by telephone.

He said security forces have been beefed up in the restive region which has been come under increased attacks from Al-Shabaab militia and their sympathizers living in the east African nation.

"We have managed to restore normalcy in several parts of this region, urging members of the public to volunteer information that can lead us to arrest those behind these attacks," Ndolo said.

He said the gunmen who sprayed bullets and threw grenades on worshipers at the African Inland Church (AIC) and Catholic in Garissa early on Sunday are still at large.

"The crackdown will continue until we get to the bottom of this matter. All of those being interrogated are just locals in Garissa. We have released some but those we know have some information are still being interrogated," he said.

The deputy police commander said the security forces have been mobilized to pursue the attackers, adding that investigations have also been launched to establish the motive behind the two attacks.

"We have appealed to the people to come out and offer information" because the attackers were seen running away, Ndolo said.

Among those who died were two policemen who were guarding the AIC church that had 10 of its worshippers killed.

The latest incident came exactly a week after at least three people were killed and 25 others injured in grenade attacks in the coastal city of Mombasa.

Both incidents came eight days after the U.S. government warned of an â€™imminent threatâ€™ of a terror attack on Mombasa and urged American government officials to vacate the port city.

Washington suspended all U.S. government travel to the coastal city of Mombasa until July 1, adding that American private citizens are not subject to the same restrictions but should consider this information in their travel planning.

However, the Kenyan government protested at the travel advisory, terming it an economic sabotage as it was meant to scare away tourists due to threats from Al-Shabab blamed for abductions and grenade attacks that have so far rocked the east African nation.

The Al-Shabaab have so far not claimed responsibility of the latest incident but the explosion came amid intensified security checks in the northern region especially near the border with Somalia in an effort to flush out Al-Shabaab militia in the east African nation.