adminWearing balaclavas, the attackers killed two armed police — posted outside churches following previous attacks — before bursting inside to target worshippers as they held prayer services.
Witnesses said bodies lay scattered on the floor inside the blood-spattered buildings — a Roman Catholic Church and an Africa Inland Church.
“It is a terrible scene, you can see bodies lying in the churches,” said regional police chief Leo Nyongesa.
At least 40 people were rushed to hospital, several in a critical condition, the Kenyan Red Cross said.
The Vatican yesterday termed the twin attacks a “horrible and very worrying” act.
“The bloody attacks in Kenya in the town of Garissa against two churches, including a Catholic cathedral, during Sunday (yesterday) prayers, are a horrible and very worrying fact” spokesman Federico Lombardi told Vatican Radio.
He deplored that “among terrorist groups, attacks on Christians gathered on Sunday in their place of worship has become a method, believed to be particularly
efficient, of spreading hatred and fear.
“The cowardice of the violence against helpless people gathered peacefully for prayer is unspeakable,” he added.
The Red Cross, which put the death toll at 17, flew the three most critically injured victims by air ambulance to the capital Nairobi.
Three children were reported to be among the dead.
“It is a horrible sight to see,” said Hussein Abdi, a resident of Garissa, some 140 kilometres from the border with war-torn Somalia.
Kenya has suffered a spate of gun, grenade and bomb attacks since sending troops into southern Somalia last October to target Shebaab rebels fighting to overthrow the weak UN-backed government in the Horn of Africa state.
Later, the pro-Shebaab Twitter site Al-Kataib boasted of a “successful operation in Garissa” but did not specifically claim responsibility. Nairobi has blamed previous assaults on the Al-Qaeda linked Shebaab.
Kenyan Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said yesterday that the nation “will not be intimidated by such cowardly acts” and urged Kenyans to “exercise religious tolerance.”
The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims condemned the attacks, saying that “all places of worship must be respected.”
“We want to send our condolences, and we are sad that no arrests have been made yet,” said chairman Abdulghafur El-Busaidy. — AFP.
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