KENYA: Planes evacuate the injured victims of two simultaneous grenade and gun attacks

Record ID: 353655

  • Title: KENYA: Planes evacuate the injured victims of two simultaneous grenade and gun attacks
  • Date: 2nd July 2012
  • Summary: NAIROBI, KENYA (JULY 1, 2012) (REUTERS) MILITARY PLANE TAXING AT WILSON AIRPORT CONTROL TOWER AT AIRPORT VARIOUS OF PLANE MILITARY PERSONNEL PREPARING TO DISEMBARK A PERSON INJURED IN THE CHURCH ATTACKS OTHER MILITARY PERSONNEL LOOKING ON PATIENT BEING MOVED FROM PLANE TO A WAITING AMBULANCE RED CROSS PERSONNEL PREPARING TO MOVE OTHER PATIENTS FROM ANOTHER PLANE VA
  • Embargoed: 17th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVADPY48J7BKT09TRR49QFCJ3U3I
  • Story Text: Kenya Red Cross and military personnel evacuated patients injured when masked attackers stormed two churches in Northern Kenya killing 17 in gun and grenade attacks.
    The attacks took place in Garissa, a town used as a base for operations against al Qaeda-linked insurgents in Somalia.
    Seven people in total arrived in Nairobi to be treated.
    The Red Cross said at least 60 people were wounded in the twin attacks which took place early Sunday (July 1).
    "Between 9:30 and 10 there was an attack on two churches, Africa Inland Church and the Catholic church in Garissa we know that at the Africa Inland church there were two police officers that were shot dead and that once they were killed their weapons were taken and their weapons were used to indiscriminately shoot at innocent church goers," said Abbas Gullet, Red Cross Secretary General.
    Kenya has suffered a series of blasts since sending troops into Somalia last October to crush Somalia's al Shabaab militants.
    Police said they suspected the attacks could have been the work of al Shabaab sympathisers or bandits, but inside Somalia, al Shabaab declined to comment.
    There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
    Witnesses accounts and preliminary investigation by police showed that a total of seven attackers hurled grenades inside the Catholic Church and the African Inland Church and then opened fire with guns.
    "Many many were injured about 60 to 70 were injured, some died on the spot others died when they were being rushed to hospital and others died when they were being treated. We know that 17 so far are confirmed dead and are in Garissa and of this 17 two were police officers and the other 15 were ordinary civilians," said Gullet They were the latest attacks on Christian worshippers in Kenya after two people were killed in grenade blasts in March and April.
    But Sunday's coordinated attacks on churches resembled the tactics of Nigeria's Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has killed hundreds of people on the other side of the continent.
    Other blasts in Kenya have hit nightclubs and bus stations in the capital Nairobi, the coastal city of Mombasa and areas near the Somalia border.
    "It is very sad for this country today, it is unacceptable and inhumane for what happened today for just ordinary worshippers for for someone to decide and go and indiscriminately shoot at them. This is unacceptable, it is a very sad day for this country but we hope as a nation we should stand much taller and stronger and that we should deal with this thing more decisively," added Gullet Although a majority of Kenyans are Christian, Garissa is predominantly Muslim.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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