NAIROBI
Two men of Somali origin on Wednesday appeared in court in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa to answer charges of belonging to Somalia's Al-Shabaab militant group, possessing firearms and plotting to kill innocent Kenyans.
AbdiAziz Abdullahi Abdi, a Somali national, and Isaak Noor Ibrahim, a Kenyan Somali, were arrested earlier this week after Kenyan intelligence agencies intercepted their communications regarding a planned attack in Mombasa.
The two men were apprehended while driving an explosive-laden vehicle in the coastal city.
Police later discovered six cylinders of powerful explosives, six hand grenades, an AK-47 assault rifle, six detonators and several magazines of ammunition in the vehicle.
The defendants two were reportedly planning to plant and detonate explosives in a number of buildings in Mombasa.
They appeared before Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo at the Mombasa High Court on seven charges, including affiliation with Al-Shabaab – which is outlawed in Kenya – and firearms possession.
Abdi and Ibrahim – who were not represented by lawyers – have denied all the charges against them.
The court remanded them in custody until March 22.
-New arrest-
A third man has been arrested and more weapons found by police.
Police sources close to the investigation told Anadolu Agency that the arrested man was believed to have been the mastermind of the foiled attack.
Police are in pursuit of six more suspects said to be linked to a local Al-Shabaab cell.
"We should soon expect the arrest of the key men in the Mombasa Al-Shabaab cell," Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa told AA by phone.
He asserted that a major terrorist attack had been thwarted thanks to the arrests.
According to intelligence sources, the seized explosives were capable of bringing down a ten-floor building.
Kenya's second largest city, Mombasa is a major tourist destination in a country whose economy relies largely on tourism revenue.
Security in the city has been stepped up in and around key installations, including Mombasa's Moi International Airport, from which motor vehicles have been banned.
The East African nation has remained on high alert since militants attacked Nairobi's Westgate Mall last year, killing 67 people.
The attack was later claimed by Somalia's Al-Shabaab militant group has a reprisal for Kenya's military involvement in Somalia.
In 2002, 13 people were killed and 80 injured in a militant attack on an Israeli-owned hotel in Mombasa.
Over the years, the city has also seen frequent grenade attacks by militants on civilian and tourist targets.
By Yassin Juma
englishnews@aa.com.tr
