Security agencies in Kenya have launched a major manhunt in Kwale and Mombasa counties for three al Shabaab operatives believed to be armed and dangerous. The three have been identified as Abdalla Omar Masudi, Alloys Otieno alias Ismael John Otieno and John Muasya alias Yahya Muasya.
Abdalla has been on the watch list for some time and following a raid at his house an AK47 rifle and a magazine with 30 rounds of ammunition were recovered. He is identified as a key al Shabaab recruiter and trainer of the militants in camps based in the Kinango forest. Ismael and Yahya are believed to have gone into hiding in Mombasa and are making attempts to travel to Somalia to join al Shabaab following a botched attempt to do the same in 2016.
Intelligence reports indicate that the three are part of a group of youths attempting to join the al Shabaab in Somalia and have been conducting crimes in there respective home areas in attempts to appease the leadership who are expected to facilitate their movement to Somalia to fight for the al- Qaeda affiliate in East Africa.
