Police recover a gun, 8 grenades, 5 bullets in Mombasa mosques raid

One youth was shot dead and 250 others arrested following a dawn raid in Masjid Musa and Sakina mosques in Mombasa county.

The operation was carrie by officers from the general service unit, the anti terror squad and the administration and regular police

According to the police another man allegedly attempted to hurl a grenade at the police when it detonated killing him on the spot. The operation that began at 2 am Monday morning comes at a time when the inspector general of police David Kimaiyo had instructed Imaams in the mosques to eject radical youths who had forced out some Imaams perceived to be sympathisers of the government

Police believe that the two mosques are being used to radicalize the youth and have further noted that the youths are being recruited in to the Al Shabaab insurgents militia through the two mosques.

During the raid, police recovered a piston, 8 hand grenades, 5 rounds of ammunation and a black flag which the police say is similar to the one used by Al Shabaab. They also recovered literature from Masjid Musa and Sakina mosques located in Majengo area. The Mombasa deputy County Commissioner Mohammed Salem said the raid was prompted by information they had received that there could some armories inside the mosques