Kenyan Police Bust Jihadist Plotting Biological Attack

On Tuesday, May 3, 2016,  Kenya’s General of Police Joseph Boinnet announced that they had cell of jihadist medics linked to the Islamic State (IS) that planned on conducting biological attacks against innocent Kenyans. The arrests came at a crucial time for authorities who are struggling to combat a growing IS recruitment problem in the region.

The ringleader of the group Mohammed Abdi Ali, a medical intern at Wote District Hospital, was placed under arrest by anti-terror police last Friday. Kenyan courts allowed police to hold Ali for an additional 30 days until their investigation was complete. Ali’s wife Nuseiba Mohammad Haji who was also a medical intern in Uganda was arrested along with her friend Fatuma Mohammed Hanshi. Nuseiba told authorities two of her accomplices Ahmed Hish and Farah Dagane, medical interns in the western town of Kitale have gone into hiding.

Police described the two fugitives as armed and dangerous and have offered a reward of 14,000 schillings or $20,000 dollars for information leading to their capture.

Boinnet noted that Ali’s, “network included medical experts with whom they planned on unleashing a biological attack in Kenya using anthrax.” He also noted that Ali was being charged with the “active recruitment and indoctrination of university students into terrorism networks.”

The IS has long tried to recruit medical students In 2015, A UK medical student Mohammed al-Kahbass was believed to have recruited 16 medical students to go and join the IS. In June 2015, 12 medical students from Sudan’s University of Medical Science and Technology and hailing form the U.S., U.K. and Canada left for Tukey to join the IS. The group has also reached out to nurses and midwives, but have to speak English fluently as a prerequisite.

Kenyan police have seen a rise in IS recruitment throughout the region as at least 20 Kenyans have gone to Libya to fight with the IS. Kenya has a sizeable Muslim community along its coastal borders with the Indian Ocean, and prime recruitment zone for jihadist groups. Officials are worried that IS may be attempting to obtain a foothold in Kenya which is East Africa’s biggest economy, telecommunications, and transportation hub.

No group was named by authorities as to whom the medical students and their associates belonged other than it was a group connected to the IS. However, a new terror group calling themselves Jahba East Africa pledged allegiance to the IS this past April, and has called upon members of Somali’s al-Shabaab group to join them.

Kenya has been in conflict with al-Shabaab since 2011 when Kenyan military forces deployed to Southern Somalia. Al-Shabaab has vowed to keep attacking Kenya until all military forces are removed from Somalia.  Al-Shabaab though has also been suffering internal dissention as younger members want the group pledge allegiance to IS while older members remain loyal to al-Qaeda. A car bomb set off by IS in Mogadishu back in April may have been the first shots fired over who will control East Africa.

Police say the terror suspects contacts spread throughout Africa from Kenya, Somalia, Libya and all the way to Syria in the Middle East. Kenyan officials are worried that if IS establishes a foothold in the region they could launch further attacks on  western targets similar to the Westgate Mall or Radison Blu  Hotel in Mali.

Kenyan authorities helped prevent what could have been a major terrorist attack killing or maiming hundreds or thousands of Kenyans. However, with two suspects on the run who still pose a serious threat to carry out these attacks it not only leaves Kenya vulnerable but any African nation who opposes  refuses IS goal for an Islamic caliphate.