Police arrest seven terror suspects in Siaya

Police have arrested seven terror suspects in Hawinga, Alego-Usonga, Siaya county.

The suspects were arrested following an operation conducted by a multi-agency team comprising officers drawn from the National Police Service and Directorate of Criminal Investigations in Siaya, Anti-Terrorism Police Unit Busia and a special team from Nairobi.

The multi-agency team, acting on an intelligence report, arrested six terror suspects in Hawinga and Uranga on Sunday.

During the operation, assorted crude weapons, including two pangas, one rungu, three knives and Islamic literature, were recovered from the suspects.

The team extended the operations to Nyandorera in Udamayi village where one more terror suspect was arrested.

They recovered Islamic literature, Arafat shawl, Islamic hat, a small military bag, a pair of scissors, pliers, a pair of safety boots, about 200 grams of cannabis sativa seeds, a spear and a catapult.

This brings to eight the number of terror suspects in police custody after another one was arrested on Wednesday last week.

Two other suspects were shot dead, and two firearms recovered following an attack on police officers escorting KCSE exams to Mahero Secondary School last week.

Police believe the suspects were part of the gang that attacked and killed a police officer and injured another.

Police traced the two suspects to a house in Hawinga, Alego-Usonga sub-county.

Siaya county Police Commander Cleti Kimaiyo said the suspects were shot dead after they opened fire on officers.

"Our officers traced the assailants to a house where they started to shoot from inside when they were asked to open the door," he said.

Kimaiyo said police recovered items linked to radicalization and terrorism in the house.