Kenya issued a warning on Thursday regarding the potential for groups like Al-Shabaab to launch “solidarity” attacks following the escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas.
The East African nation has experienced several violent attacks orchestrated by the Somalia-based group Al-Shabaab since it deployed troops into its neighbouring country in 2011 to combat the Al-Qaeda-affiliated militants.
“Conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza impacts global security,” Kenya’s counterterrorism police service said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Terror groups like Al-Shabaab may conduct attacks in solidarity with Hamas to remain relevant.”
“Kenyans need to be vigilant & report terror activities to police for action,” it added.
The Kenyan foreign ministry issued a statement on Saturday, vehemently condemning “in the strongest terms possible, the unprovoked attack by Hamas militants on the people of Israel”.
“This egregious act of violence, has not only disrupted the fragile peace in the Middle East but also poses a significant threat to global peace and security.”
Kenya plays a significant role as a contributor to the African Union force supporting the central government in Mogadishu, Somalia, in its efforts to combat Al-Shabaab. Nevertheless, Kenya has endured a series of lethal retaliatory attacks as a consequence.
Last month, the nation commemorated the 10th anniversary of a horrific siege at the upscale Westgate shopping center in the capital city of Nairobi in 2013, resulting in the loss of 67 lives.
Two years following the Westgate incident, Al-Shabaab militants launched an attack on Garissa University in eastern Kenya, resulting in the tragic deaths of 148 individuals, with almost all of them being students.
It ranked as the second deadliest attack in Kenya’s history, with the only exception being Al-Qaeda’s 1998 bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi, which claimed the lives of 213 individuals.
In 2019, gunmen from Al-Shabaab targeted the upscale Dusit hotel complex in Nairobi, resulting in the deaths of 21 people.
In 2002, an Al-Qaeda suicide car bombing occurred at an Israeli-owned resort hotel near the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa, claiming the lives of at least 13 individuals, including three Israelis. Simultaneously, an Israeli passenger jet narrowly evaded a missile attack during takeoff from Mombasa airport.
