Three women shot dead after attacking cops in police station
Three robed women tricked their way into a police station in Mombasa, Kenya, and stabbed one officer and set fire to the building with a petrol bomb before being shot dead, an officer and a witness said on yesterday.
The city of Mombasa, with a large Muslim population on the Kenyan coast, has been targeted by Islamist militants in recent years although the frequency of attacks has subsided.
The women had walked into the police station on Saturday morning under the pretext of reporting a stolen phone, but they had a knife and a petrol bomb concealed in their traditional Buibui robes.
"While being questioned by officers, one drew a knife and the other threw a petrol bomb at the police officers," Mr Patterson Maelo, Mombasa County Police Commander, told reporters at the scene.
"The station caught fire. Police shot the three and killed them. Two officers are in hospital with wounds."
Two bullet-proof jackets and an unused petrol bomb were recovered from the dead suspects, Coast regional commander Nelson Marwa told reporters.
"We already have crucial leads that will help in investigation," he said.
Two separate police sources who asked not to be named said that a woman who had housed the suspects the night before the attack had been arrested. - Reuters
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
