Police in Kenya have reportedly killed a wanted terror suspect.
Police killed terror suspect Juma Athman Mwengo in Kwale County after a two-year hunt.
Mwengo was killed at his hideout in Tiribe, Matuga, on Monday during a raid by officers from Nairobi, just a week after they raided his family house in Lunga Lunga looking for him.
“[The suspect, who was in a house] was ordered to surrender but charged with a panga intending to harm one of the officers. In the process, he was fatally injured,” reads a police report seen by the Nation.
Police said Mwengo was a known recruiter and planner of terror activities in Mombasa and Kwale counties.
“He was responsible for recruiting and organising terror gang members in Msambweni, Likoni and Kisauni,” a report stated.
A second suspect identified as Kassim Nassoro Shauti reportedly escaped through a hole behind his house.
After a search in the house which belongs to Mr Shauti, police said they recovered five machetes and a black flag with Arabic writings.
Many escapes
Mwengo is said to have escaped two police dragnets as police searched for him in 2017 and 2019.
“Early in 2017, he escaped a raid at his house in Likoni Shika Adabu, where three military smoke jackets, two grenades, 10 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition and binoculars were [found],” a police report says.
He was once arrested that year after he was found with explosives, charged with terrorism and released on bond, but was not to be seen again.
In March 2019, police raided a house in Ng’ombeni where Mwengo was believed to have been hiding with another suspect, but missed them.
In October the same year, they said the suspect was among three who escaped during a raid in Dudus, Likoni, where three terror suspects were killed and ammunition recovered.
At that time, police said the escapees were members of the Harakat, an Al-Shabaab faction, and that they were armed and dangerous.
By Melvin Tarlue