Al-Shabab plans to attack Kenyan airports

Kenyan officials have received intelligence reports that Al-Shabaab militants are planning to attack airports in the country; about 11 Al-Shabab have been trained on airborne suicide missions

Erick Kiraithe, Kenya Airports Authority’s general manager in charge of security, did not confirm or deny the information contained in a memo said to have been authored by him

Kenya security officials are said to be on high alert after receiving intelligence report on planned terrorist attacks.

Erick Kiraithe, Kenya Airports Authority’s general manager in charge of security, is said to have alerted other managers of the al-Shabaab plans through a confidential memo dated Friday, February 26.

“We have received intelligence report that al-Shabaab is planning to conduct attacks against Kenyan airports late February and early March 2016,” reads the said communication from Kiraithe.

Kiraithe declined to comment on the Al-Shabaab attack plans when contacted by a local newspaper on Monday, February 29.

According to the memo, the planned al-Shabaab attacks would mainly target domestic flights. The al-Shabaab militants would pose as passengers then blow themselves up during landing.

The document further states that about 11 al-Shabaab terrorists have undergone training within Somalia on airborne suicide missions in readiness for the attacks.

The militants have since claimed responsibility for an explosion in a Djibouti bound plane on February 2. The bomb used in the explosion was concealed in a laptop computer.

Kenyan officials have not been taking any chances when it comes to security at the airports.

Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, and 19 other top government officials, was recently detained for hours at the JKIA for apparently breaching protocol.

Their chartered plane from Somalia could not be cleared at the airport as it had not been inspected at Wajir Airport, as required for all flights to and from the country.