Al-Shabaab reveals names of terrorists who raided DusitD2 Hotel in Nairobi

NAIROBI, Kenya - The Somalia-based extremists the Al-Shabaab have identified five men who participated in the DusitD2 Hotel attack in Kenya, almost two years after the horrific raid which left at least 21 people dead in the high-end complex within Nairobi's Westlands estate, which is linked to sophisticated investments and multi-million businesses.

The raid, the last known terror raid within Nairobi, a city that had witnessed a couple of terror attacks, was executed on January 15, 2019, just almost four years after another deadly attack that leftover 150 students dead in Garissa University, an institution located over 1000KM northeast of Nairobi.

In a video released by their friendly media outlets, Al-Shabaab showed images of the terrorists in an undisclosed location, donning in military fatigue. The five were directly involved in the attack which raised questions about Kenya's preparedness in dealing with Al-Shabaab militants.

The five attackers included Ali Salim Gichunge alias Abu Sakeena, Osman Ahmed Hassan Azzam, Mahir Khalid Riziki Jibril Simba, Muhammad Adan Nur Farhan Yare, and Abdulqani Arab Yusuf Farhan Dheere. The five belonged to the martyr squad Mujahedeen, the Al-Shabaab wing which is also responsible for explosives.

Of the five attackers, three were Kenyans and two Somalis. The Al-Shabaab video purportedly shows attackers the day before the attack somewhere in Nairobi, having food, drinks, and watching a video of Osama Bin Laden before the group was addressed by Osman Ahmed Hassan Azzam who was born in Kenya.

The terrorists drove to the high-end complex in the afternoon before starting to fire indiscriminately, with an explanation that didn't meet its target killing one of them instantly. The other four proceeded to the building which hosted several businesses, leading to a prolonged siege.

After about 24 hours, the government of Kenya declared the end of the siege after the elite Recce Squad killed the remaining four before freeing hundreds of civilians who had been trapped in the building. Their bodies were displayed by the paramilitary squad before the positive identification of the two of them.

Standing out among the five was Ali Salim Gichunge, a son to an active Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] sergeant working in Isiolo. Preliminary investigations showed that the father, Abdalla Salim, had not been in contact with his son for over four years after he separated from the mother.

Mariam Abdalla, the mother of the slain terrorist, was temporarily arrested by the police for "failing to disclose information" about the whereabouts of her son. The case is said to have been dropped due to a lack of evidence according to the sleuths privy to the case.

Gichunge, a former aspiring engineer, was the lead terrorist at the time and is said to have hosted the rest in Guango estate in the outskirts of Nairobi before the incident. A lady who he was cohabiting with identified as Violet Kemunto Omwoyo is yet to be located according to authorities.

The lady, sleuths said, is believed to have fled to Somalia during the attack and her home is yet to be traced. The 2019 attack triggered a crackdown against the terrorists, limiting their operations to the Northern Frontier Districts of Mandera, Wajir, and Garissa, with some parts of Lamu also affected.

In Somalia, a relentless crackdown engineered by the African Union Mission Forces, the Somali National Army, and the US Africa Command has also yielded fruits, leading to the liberation of several strategic towns. In the process, a number of terrorists have been killed and others arrested by security forces.

The release of the video comes days after the Department of Defense confirmed the impending exit of the US Africa Command troops from Somalia which is scheduled for early next year. Outgoing President Donald Trump instructed the withdrawal of the over 700 servicemen who he wants redeploying elsewhere in East Africa.

Also in the pipeline is the withdrawal of the African Union Mission Forces which is scheduled for next year after the full implementation of the Somali Transition Plan [STP]. Despite losing considerably in their territories, the group remains a threat to the security of Somalia and across the border.

GAROWE ONLINE