Kenya Arrests 2 Iranian Terror Suspects

Kenya's anti-terrorism personnel have detained two Iranians on suspicion of plotting to carry out attacks as the country prepares to mark the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Nairobi's Westgate shopping mall on Sunday.



"The Iranian suspects are being interrogated by our scrutiny officials. They will possibly appear in court on Monday," Mwenda Njoka, spokesman for Kenya's Interior Ministry, told Anadolu Agency by phone.



However, Njoka did not specify charges to be preferred against the Iranians or reveal their names.



"They entered Kenya on Thursday using forged Israel passports. The passports showed that the Iranians were Israeli citizens," he said.



Njoka declined to disclose where the Iranians were coming from, but said they entered Kenya through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport "where they were arrested by our anti-terrorism unit."



The detention of the two Iranian nationals comes on the eve of Kenya marking the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Nairobi's Westgate Mall on September 21, 2013.



The attacks left 67 people dead and scores maimed.



Kenyan defense forces have already been put on alert and surveillance stepped up with security personnel patrolling strategic government buildings and public places.



The detention of the Iranians also comes less than a week after a Kenyan terror suspect narrowly escaped arrest following a raid carried out by anti-Terrorism personnel at Kenya's Coastal city of Mombasa.



Kenyan authorities have blamed terrorist attacks in the country on Al-Shabaab militants from neighboring Somalia, where Kenyan troops are serving as members of more than 22,000 troops of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).



Al-Shabaab have vowed attacks in Kenya in revenge for the killing of the group's leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, who was killed on September 5 in a U.S. drone attack in south-central Somalia.



By James Shimanyula



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Nayrobi