17 dead, 50 injured in twin Garissa church attacks

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

17 dead, 50 injured in twin Garissa church attacks

 

Mr Dennis Nzioki who was among the victims attacked in a church waits to be examined at the Garissa Provincial General Hospital on July 1, 2012. Photo/ISSA HUSSEIN

 

By NATION TEAM

Posted Sunday, July 1 2012 at 10:55

wo police officers are among 17 people killed in two simultaneous attacks in Garissa when masked gunmen sprayed bullets and hurled grenades at Catholic's Central Cathedral and AIC churches, Kenya Red Cross say.

 

However, Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe said 14 people were killed during the attacks.

 

"12 worshipers including nine women were killed. Two police officers on patrol around the AIC church were also killed in the attack," he said.

 

According to North Eastern Deputy PPO, Philip Ndolo, the gunmen attacked and killed two police officers on duty and took their firearms before raiding the churches.

 

He said AIC church suffered more casualties as it accounts for most deaths and at least 50 injured persons resulting from gunshot wounds.

 

Catholic's Central Cathedral had three casualties from a grenade attack.

 

The dead include two police officers, four men, nine women and two children.

 

Meanwhile, seven people have been airlifted to Nairobi for specialised treatment. Three people were airlifted by Amref Flying Doctors, two by the Kenya Army and two more by the Intensive Care Air Ambulance. All patients were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).

 

Kenya Police Statement

Kenya Red Cross, the Kenya Defence Forces, St John Ambulance had all summoned their medical personnel in the region to assist in the emergency treatment.

 

An eye witness who was attending a service at AIC church, Mr Dennis Nzioki said they heard noises from the rooftop of falling objects.

 

"We heard something like stones being thrown on top of the roof, then, we realised that we were being shot at," he said.

 

Paul Mwalali, 52, who was at the AIC church recounted similar event.

 

“I had a front row seat in the church. I heard something fall on the roof. Then there was a huge explosion. I dived on the ground and went under the seat. Then there was shooting and people were screaming all over. When the shooting stopped, I felt a sharp pain on my leg.”

 

Another eye witness Felix Kimanzi said the masked gunmen wearing blue uniforms sprayed bullets at the congregation of the AIC church resulting in the deaths and the high number of casualties.

 

He also said two grenades were hurled but only one exploded.

 

"I was 100 metres away from the church when I saw two gunmen at the entrance spray bullets at the congregation. I hid from their sight," he said.

 

"They were joined by two more gunmen in blue uniforms who hurled grenades and they all fled on foot," he added.

 

The casualties have been admitted at Garissa Provincial General Hospital.

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Kenya church attacks 'kill 15' in Garissa

 

Kevin Mwachiro reports from Nairobi: ''People question the security in and around Garissa''

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Fifteen people have been killed in attacks on churches in the Kenyan town of Garissa near Somalia, say the Kenyan Red Cross and a medical official.

 

Regional deputy police chief Philip Ndolo said balaclava-clad "goons" attacked the town's Catholic church and the African Inland Church (AIC).

 

A combination of grenades and gunfire was used, police said.

 

Kenya's border region has been tense since it sent troops into Somalia to pursue al-Shabab Islamic militants.

 

Kenya said the operations, launched last October, were designed to bring an end to kidnappings on Kenyan soil and other violence which it blamed on al-Shabab.

 

But since then, al-Shabab has been blamed for a further string of grenade and bomb blasts across Kenya - though it has never admitted to carrying out any such attack on Kenyan territory.

 

No group has yet said it carried out these latest attacks, but the finger of blame will once again undoubtedly be pointed at al-Shabab or sympathisers, says the BBC's Kevin Mwachiro in Nairobi.

 

"We condemn this act in the strongest terms possible," Mr Ndolo said.

 

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims also condemned Sunday's church attacks, saying that "all places of worship must be respected", reported the AFP news agency.

 

'Terrible scene'

Sunday's attacks took place during morning sermons at the churches in the garrison town.

 

The Provincial Medical Officer for North Eastern Province in Kenya, Mahamad Abey Shekh, said 15 people had been killed.

 

About 40 were thought to be wounded, several in serious condition.

 

The first and most serious attack took place at the AIC, police told our correspondent.

 

 

Gunmen shot two policemen outside one of the churches, and grenades were then thrown inside. As the panicked congregation rushed to escape, gunmen fired on them, police said. At least 10 people died.

 

In the second - apparently co-ordinated - attack at a Catholic church, two grenades were thrown inside the church. One failed to go off, but police say three people were injured by the other one.

 

Police said up to seven gunmen were involved in the attacks, but none had been apprehended.

 

Witnesses told AFP that bodies lay scattered in the blood-spattered churches as scores of wounded were rushed to hospital.

 

"It is a terrible scene, you can see bodies lying in the churches," regional police chief Leo Nyongesa told the agency.

 

"You can imagine for such a small town how the police and medical services have been stretched trying to deal with this," Mr Ndolo told Reuters news agency.

 

Garissa is the capital of North Eastern province, about 140km (90 miles) from the Somali border.

 

It is close to the Dadaab refugee camp, where gunmen kidnapped four aid workers and killed a driver on Friday in an attack Mr Ndolo said he suspected al-Shabab sympathisers of carrying out.

 

These two incidents have not painted a good picture of the efficacy of Kenyan security forces, our correspondent says.

 

Troops are supposed to have secured the Kenya-Somali border and frontier towns, but this does not seem to be happening, he adds.

[wyre]

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