Suspected Al-Shabaab militants arrested near Kenya-Somalia border

NAIROBI, Kenya - Police in Kenya are interrogating two men suspected to be Al-Shabaab members, in the latest significant development which bolsters the fight against the Al-Qaida linked group which dominates large swathes of rural Somalia.

According to the police, the two men were arrested during a security operation in Garissa County which is in the northeastern part of the country. A top regional official confirmed the arrest of the militants.

Garissa County Commissioner Boaz Cherutich said the police recovered three firearms, 98 bullets, and five magazines following a sting operation conducted in Modika area in the outskirts of Garissa town on Wednesday night.

The senior official said the two suspects will be arraigned in court once investigations are complete and warned that the government will not relent in its efforts to rid the area of illegal gangs marauding with firearms.

"As a government, I want to give an assurance to residents that we will not compromise on matters of security. Anyone hell-bent on causing havoc will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” he warned.

The veteran administrator assured locals that security organs will continue with the same operations and asked residents to continue cooperating with security officers by reporting any suspected persons with illegal weapons so that they can be arrested.

This comes after the Federal Aviation Authority warned Kenya that Al-Shabaab militants are capable of hitting aircraft flying at low altitudes along the northeastern part of the East Africa nation. The militants, FAA added, have weapons that can down aircraft.

Kenya has been an Al-Shabaab hotbed, especially for the last seven years, with the militants often targeting the capital Nairobi and northeastern parts. Kenya Defense Forces have been operating in Somalia since 2011.

GAROWE ONLINE