Baku-APA. Kenya's anti-terrorism police have arrested three foreign terror suspects in the coastal town of Malindi, a police officer said Friday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.
Head of Anti-Terrorism Police Unit Njeru Mwaniki said that the three Belgian and French nationals are on the international terror watch list and warrants of arrest have been issued against them by their respective countries.
"Our officers, working on highly-placed international intelligence information, arrested the three alongside a Kenyan on Tuesday and (they) will be charged on Friday," Mwaniki said.
The East African nation's coastal towns are the backbone of the country's thriving tourism industry, which has been hit by the fear of terror attacks and the kidnapping of foreigners by Somali pirates from resorts near the border with Somalia.
Police have particularly warned against the laxity in the screening of cars for explosives at all shopping malls and any business, or social gatherings with at least 10 people at any given moment.
Mwaniki said the East African nation was playing a pivotal role in ensuring that terrorism and other forms of criminal activities threatening the country's security were minimized if not eliminated.
The three French and Belgian nationals had sneaked into the country and bought a house in Malindi town to conduct their terrorism acts, police said.
Mwaniki said the Kenya government is collaborating with France and Belgium to have the suspects deported to face further terror charges in their own countries.
Kenya anti-terrorism police officers have identified the three as Smait Ben Abdallah, Bouya Baren Mustapha and Hussin Omar.
The three have been grilled by both Kenya and foreign security agencies over links with al-Qaida-linked Somali militant group Al- Shabaab.
"We have been interrogating them for the last three days, we had to seek an interpreter to effectively question the three before they are committed to trial," head of Anti- Terrorism Unit Coast Region Elijah Rop told Xinhua.
Police believe the three were preparing to train and fight with the militant group Al Shabaab.
The East African nation is facing a great challenge in dealing with the 'enemy within,' who has executed several terror attacks undetected, as Kenya Defense Forces and its allies fight external aggressors -- Al Shabaab in southern Somalia.
Subsequent efforts to fight terrorism and neutralize Al Shabaab threats have seen Anti-Terrorism Police Unit arrest dozens of other Kenyans on suspicion of being members of the Somali terror group.
Kenya's anti-terrorism unit has in the past arrested several foreign terror suspects, including Michael Adebolajo who in May this year killed a British soldier on a London street.
He was released from custody at the request of British officials after he was arrested by police in December 2010 in Lamu on suspicion of links to Al Shabaab. He and a group of youths had attempted to take a boat to cross to Somalia.
Kenya's tourism has suffered a decline in the number of tourists arriving since September 2011, when Al Shabaab carried out the kidnappings of tourists in the Lamu archipelago and the kidnapping of Spanish volunteers.
The port city, the capital Nairobi and other parts of Kenya have suffered a series of grenade attacks since Kenya sent troops into Somalia last year to try to pursue Al Shabaab insurgents it blames for a surge in violence and kidnappings threatening tourism.
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