One person has been killed and more than 250 arrested in police raids on two mosques in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa. The mosques had apparently been used as armories, in addition to being incubators of violent jihad.

A report from KTN in Kenya:

And from NTV in Kenya:

Below are excerpts from a BBC article on the same topic:

Kenya Police Seize Weapons in Mombasa Mosques Raid

Kenyan police say they have conducted dawn raids on two mosques in the coastal city of Mombasa, recovering grenades and ammunition.

One person was shot dead by police and more than 250 people were arrested during the operation.

Police said the Masjid Musa and Shakinah mosques were being used to store weapons.

They have accused the Masjid Musa mosque of having ties to the Islamist militant group al-Shabab.

Al-Shabab, which is based in neighbouring Somalia, has carried out several attacks in Kenya since 2011, when Kenya sent troops into Somalia to battle it.

Police say they recovered a pistol, eight grenades and a flag associated with al-Shabab at the mosques.

One man was shot dead during the raid after he “attempted to hurl” a hand grenade at police officers, Mombasa police chief Geoffrey Mayek told reporters.

This is the second time this year that the Masjid Musa mosque has been raided by police, the BBC’s Emmanual Igunza reports from Mombasa.

Police say it is used as a recruitment and training ground for young people seeking to join al-Shabab, our correspondent adds.

‘Volatile situation’

Activist Hussein Khalid, from civil society group HAKI Africa, condemned the police raids.

“Force will only act to heighten tension in what is already a volatile situation,” he said in quotes carried by AFP news agency.

Hat tip: Vlad Tepes.