Handover of suspects boosts war on terror

The arrest and handing over of two terror suspects by Somali security agencies to Kenyan authorities sets a good precedent in the fight against terrorism. 

The gesture, the first ever, is  a loud message to the terrorists and criminal elements in the region that they will have nowhere to hide even as they plan to kill and maim innocent people.  It also helps ease the tensions between the two countries and marks a shift in the manner the two countries have handled the terrorism issue. 

These merchants of terror — Farah Ahamed Sanbul and Mihat Daar Khalif— who were evil  reported to have fled Kenya at some point were obviously on an evil mission. And that they were in possession of deadly arsenal; seven AK-47 assault rifles, a pistol and an assortment of  ammunition, is evidence of the what they planned to do.

One of the rifles belongs to the Kenya Police, which means it will be important for the investigators to establish how the weapon landed in the hands of the suspects.

For instance, it will critical to know whether this weapon was stolen during one of the sporadic raids by al Shabaab or if some rogue police officer was involved. These and other questions must be answered in the course of investigations.

The militia group has made a life a living hell for many people, especially in the northeastern counties. Further inland, the militia has claimed responsibility for such atrocious attacks as the American Embassy, DusitD2, Westgate mall and the Garissa University College bombings. All these attacks have resulted in loss of live, but to the credit of Kenyan security agencies, many other attacks have been foiled.

It is here that our strength as a nation lies, and where our resources should be expended to keep our people and our borders safe from the insidious and utterly barbaric attacks.

The hand-over of the suspects, along with the cache of arms and ammunition must inspire afresh the fight against terrorism and give it a fresh impetus. It also means that those of their ilk will have nowhere to hide after committing such atrocities.

The bilateral co-operation that enabled this development must be stepped up and given all the support it needs to ensure the axis of evil, as the terror group has been referred to, is finally vanquished.

Of course, security forces and intelligence machinery must never relent the mantra of eternal vigilance, which will remain key in spotting threats and neutralising them.