An improvised explosive device has killed 13 people on a bus in Kenya. The roadside bomb attack is likely the work of al-Shabab, an Islamist militant group with ties to al-Qaeda and based in neighboring Somalia. European embassies have been issuing warnings in recent days about an increased likelihood of terrorist activity in the country, with foreigners and Christians being likely targets, particularly in the capital of Nairobi.
Bomb attack kills 13
Kenyan police say they have arrested one suspect but al-Shabab, the likely perpetrator, has not yet claimed credit for the bombing.
The attack occurred in northeastern Kenya near the border with Somalia, where the militant group is located and out of which it has previously attacked civilian targets in Kenya.
Kenya experiences violence outside of the capital stemming from local disputes and political rivalries, but the Islamist attacks tend to be the most deadly by far.
More than 200 people were killed in 1998 when al-Qaeda bombed the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, a prelude to the 9/11 attacks three years later.
Kenya’s population is mostly Christian but neighboring Somalia is overwhelmingly Muslim. In 2011 Kenya contributed troops to fight al-Shabab in Somalia.
That move is believed to have sparked a wave of revenge attacks by the militants which have received international attention and killed hundreds of civilians.
Foreign governments warn citizens
The target or purpose of the bombing remains unknown, though if the attack was carried out by the militants there may not have been any motive beyond spreading terror.
Al-Shabab has carried out attacks in the area and on same road in the past. A governor was assassinated nearby in a 2015 attack known to have been carried out by the group.
Some witnesses reportedly claimed to have heard gunfire after the bomb exploded, though they did not specify who they believed to be doing the shooting.
Police rapidly apprehended one suspect but they did not elaborate on the circumstance of the arrest or their reasons for assuming that the arrested individual was behind the bombing.
The bombing comes only days after the Kenyan government claimed to be heightening security measures in response to warnings of terrorist activity from European governments.
The French, German, and Dutch embassies warned their citizens about “credible” threats to foreigners in Nairobi and urged them to avoid restaurants and hotels known to cater to international customers.
