Distraught woman is led away from scene of attack

At least 148 people died during an attack on Garissa University, Kenya claimed by Islamist militant group Al Shabab, around 70 were also injured, Five militants strapped with explosives were said to have stormed a dormitory as students slept. Witnesses claimed that during a flight for their lives, panicked students ran into the gunmen who were seeking to separate Christians from Muslims and after doing so shot Christians dead. One tweet suggested some at the site thought it might be an “April Fool” therefore may not have reacted immediately. Escaping students claimed to have seen a number of beheaded bodies.

Alleged victims at Garissa University (image Hadji Khaleed Twitter) 

Massacre at Garissa

Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al-Shabaab’s military operations spokesman told Reuters, “we sorted people out and released the Muslims…. He also said there are many dead bodies of Christians inside the building, “we are also holding many Christians alive. Fighting still goes on inside the college.”

Live From Mogadishu tweeted the following,

“Al Shabab claims that Garissa university was a source of ‘missionary activities & to spread deviant ideologies’ among Muslims in NE Kenya”

“Al Shabab claim to have “contact” with fighters inside Garissa university, told them they are fine and fighting Kenya forces for almost 10 hrs.”

“In a new audio massage, Al Shababa spox Sheikh Ali Dhere urges attackers inside Garissa university to “cut the heads ” of all hostages.”

Journalist Rukimi Callimachi described how hostages were selected in the earlier Westgate Mall attack in 2013 and said an attack like today was predictable, see following link,

“Terrorists use new tactics to spare some Muslims”

http://www.ap.org/Content/AP-In-The-News/2013/Terrorists-used-new-tactic-to-spare-some-Muslims

Kenyan Security forces entered a fierce battle with the hostage takers and after a number of hours all hostages were dead. The Kenya National Disaster Operation Centre claimed on Twitter that 280 out of 815 students at the university had been accounted for with over 500 freed. The government are now on the hunt for Mohamed Kuno, a high-ranking al-Shabab official who is believed to be the mastermind behind the attack. There is now a bounty of $217,000 (£140,000) on his head.

Twitter users posted a warning which was said to have been sent to educational institutions last week alerting staff to the possibility that a university may be targeted, only two guards were believed to be on duty at Garissa University both were killed early on during the attack.

Human Rights Watch tweeted that there was “no justification for heinous attacks on students.” Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes stated,

“we urge the Government of Kenya to act decisively and within the Constitution and the law to ensure protection for those under or at risk of attack in Garissa and other areas of the north,” said Muthoni Wanyeki, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes” 

“Citizens and public servants in the north have repeatedly expressed fears about their vulnerability to Al Shabaab attacks which the Kenyan government has failed to appropriately address. Learning institutions are meant to be safe places for students and their teachers. Their protection must be fully guaranteed.”

A statement was released by his excellency Hon.Uhuru Kenyatta, C.G.H President and Commander -In-Chief of the Defence Forces, Kenya who said,

“on behalf of my Government, I extend condolences to the families of those who have perished in this attack. I continue to pray for the quick recovery of the injured, and the safe rescue of those held hostage.”

He urged people to stay calm, calling for vigilance and went on to say,

“I further direct the Inspector General of Police to take urgent steps and ensure that the 10,000 recruits whose enrolment is pending, promptly report for training at the Kenya Police College, Kiganjo. I take full responsibility for this directive. We have suffered unnecessarily due to shortage of security personnel. Kenya badly needs additional officers, and I will not keep the nation waiting”

There is now a daen to dusk curfew in place in the region.

Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.