Kenyan police gun down terror suspect in coastal resort town of Diani

Kenyan police on Sunday killed a terror suspect in the coastal resort town of Diani in Kwale County.

Kwale police commander Joseph Nthenge said Suleiman Ali Godza who had escaped a police dragnet during a sting operation at his house on Friday evening, was finally killed after he defied orders to surrender at Ngerenya area.

“He is believed to have been planning to carry out attacks on police officers on patrol within Likoni and Ukunda,” Nthenge told Xinhua on phone.

He said the suspect was a leader of section al-Shabaab operatives who has been terrorizing residents and security officers in the coastal region.

Two days ago, Godza, alias Pembe escaped police dragnet where his accomplice Kennedy Okaka was killed in shootout with police officers in Likoni where the police recovered an AK-47 rifle, serial number 0669, three 7.62-calibre bullets and a magazine during Friday’s shooting in Likoni.

“On being ordered to surrender he attempted to attack the officers using a machete which prompted the officers to shoot, fatally injuring him,” Nthenge said.

He said the police recovered are five rounds of 9mm, machete and a knife.

Police said Godza is behind the killing of two police officers who were guarding a local church in Ukunda on September 3, 2017.

Many al-Shabab returnees are believed to be holed in Kenya’s coastal region and have since changed tactics and resorted to abductions and using improvised explosive devices to carry out attacks in parts of coast and northeastern regions, according to the police.

Source: News Ghana