Jomo Kenyatta Airport: targeted by Al Shabaab terrorists

The Kenyan Security Agents have uncovered a plot by the Al Shabaab terror group to use teams of 11 suicide bombers, masquerading as passengers, to bomb aircraft during landing or take-off at major airports in the East African nation.

This was disclosed in a leaked security report seen on Monday.

“We have received an intelligence report that Al Shabaab is planning to conduct suicide terror attacks against Kenyan airports late February and early March 2016,” Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) Security Chief, Eric Kiraithe, wrote in an internal memo dated Feb. 26.

The memo warned that the  Al Shabaab would attempt to attack domestic flights using operatives posing as passengers who would blow themselves during landing at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport or Wilson Airport, which handles light commercial flights operating within the East African region.

The memo warned the team of 11 suicide bombers were trained at an undisclosed location in readiness for the attack, with at least five deployed to target Nairobi, while another team targets Mombasa airport.

“The planned attacks by the Al Shabaab against Kenya Airports are likely to paralyse operations at the vital installations with far reaching ramifications to national security. Ensure that every measure is applied to prevent any such eventuality,” the memo stated.

Al Shabaab conducted an airborne attack on an airline in Somalia recently, leading to an emergency landing of the aircraft.

The suicide bomb was passed to a passenger on board as a computer. The device exploded, blowing a huge hole in the aircraft’s hull.

Al Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack.