Kenyan Police Arrest 24 Over Protests In Mombasa

Kenya armed forces at Westgate Mall during the shooting and hostage standoff. The Al-Shabaab Islamic resistance movement says its fighters are involved in the attack., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Kenyan police arrest 24 over protests in Mombasa

English.news.cn 2013-10-04 21:03:19

MOMBASA, Kenya, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police have arrested 24 people after demonstrations broke out in the coastal city of Mombasa following the killing of an influential Muslim cleric and three others on Thursday night.

The protests brought business in the ever busy tourism resort city of Mombasa to a standstill as many businesses were hurriedly closed due to the chaos. One protester was shot and a church torched as Muslims youths engaged the police in the running battles.

The protests began after Thursday night's killing of Sheikh Ibrahim Rogo and three others by unknown gunmen.

Last year's killing of controversial cleric Aboud Rogo Mohammed sparked days of rioting.

The latest protests came two weeks after the Sept. 21 attack on an upscale Kenyan shopping center in Nairobi, which killed at least 67 people.

The siege of the Westgate shopping center in the Westlands district of Nairobi is now over, but forensic operations at the site are still ongoing and armed security forces remain on the scene.

Kenyan police have vowed to step up security surveillance across the country following intelligence reports that Somali militants who claimed responsibility for the recent mall attack, were planning to carry out attacks in the East African nation.

Police Inspector General David Kimaiyo said security forces have increased surveillance measures in key installations, private and public places and urged the public to exercise caution while dealing with people with ulterior motives.