Zanzibar. One person was killed and several others were injured in yet another bombing here. The government condemned the attacks and vowed to weed out “dangerous elements” it accused of fanning tensions in the Isles.
Unknown assailants hurled a grenade into the busy Darajani business district, killing Muhamed Khatib Mkobalaguha and badly injuring seven worshippers leaving a mosque after prayers. The blast triggered panic and fear among residents, who have had to live with attacks targeting both Christian and Islamic leaders and prayer houses in recent times.
Zanzibar’s minister of State and Second Vice President Mohamed Aboud Mohamed condemned the bombing which, he said, was bound to hurt tourism in the Isles.
According to the minister, a special operation by security forces has been launched. He asked residents to help identify the culprits.
In the meantime, CCTV cameras are to be installed in Zanzibar to help detect potential attackers. Yesterday, a bomb went off at around 8:30pm in Stone Town, which is a Unesco-listed historical centre. Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations Yusuph Ilembo condemned the attack and said the police and other security agents had launched an intensive manhunt for the assailants. Two cars parked near the blast area were badly damaged.
According to Mr Ilembo, no one had been arrested in connection with the blast late yesterday. Ballistic experts are, in the meantime, examining the debris at the scene of the blast.
The casualties are Sheikh Kassim Mafuta, Kassim Issa Muhamed (38), Hamad Nassor Kassim (46), Khelef Abdallah Abdallah (21), Khalid Ahmed Haidar (16) and his father Ahmed Haidar Habir (47). They are all admitted at Kiembesamaki Hospital. Form Six student Suleiman Ali Juma was also wounded.
“We have strengthened security in Zanzibar,” said Mr Ilembo, “and taken all the necessary precautions to ensure peace prevails on our land.”
The father of Muhamed Khatib Mkombalaguha told The Citizen on Sunday that he learnt of the death of his son from a relative in Arusha. “We travelled through the night via Dar es Salaam to reach Zanzibar at dawn,” he added. “He is survived by a widow and two children.”
Some of the casualties admitted at Al Rahman Hospital in Mnazi Mmoja said they had just left the mosque and were heading for religious teaching when the attackers struck.
Zanzibar is hosting a religious gathering of Muslims from all over East Africa. The mainly Muslim island, famed for its pristine white sand beaches attracts thousands of tourists every year.
There have been a number of attacks in the island targeting Christian leaders and churches in the past few years. In February, a bomb went off next to an Anglican cathedral near Stone Town, while another exploded almost simultaneously at a restaurant in the city.
President Jakaya Kikwete has warned that religious tensions are a threat to peace in the country. Zanzibar maintains a political union with Tanzania but has its own parliament and president.
THE CITIZEN
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