Gunmen storm Kenyan University; at least 148 killed

[jimmy olsen]

More than 10 gunmen, damn that's a bad sign.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/02/africa/kenya-university-attack/

(CNN)—Gunmen attacked a university in south central Kenya on Thursday morning, wounding at least seven people, CNN affiliate NTV reported.

The casualties included at least two officers and a student, NTV said.

The gunshots started going off "like fireworks" at Garissa University College around 5 a.m., at the time of morning prayers, witness Milka Ndung'u told the affiliate. She and others escaped to a field, but gunshots followed them, so they continued fleeing.

Augustine Alanga told CNN he woke up to the sound of gunfire and described students running around the dormitories seeking shelter.

It's not clear how many gunmen were on campus.

"We don't know how many there were, but there are probably more than 10," said Robert Alai Onyango, a blogger in Nairobi. "We believe the attackers were wearing something close to military fatigues."

Onyango said the gunmen appeared to be shooting indiscriminately and "basically from all angles."

"They surrounded the mosque ... we don't know why they were surrounding the mosque," Onyango said.

Garissa University College is in an area where Al Shabaab militants have sometimes led raids.

What is Al-Shabaab, and what does it want?

Onyango said there have been fears that the violent extremists would attack a college like Garissa. But so far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Last month, the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi warned of possible attacks "throughout Kenya in the near-term" following the reported death of a a key al-Shabaab leader, Adan Garaar.

"Although there is no information about a specific location in Kenya for an attack, U.S. citizens are reminded that the potential for terrorism exists," the warning said.

CNN's Brian Walker contributed to this report.

[The Brain]

At least it wasn't gundams.

[jimmy olsen]

So, terrible.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/kenyas-garissa-university-attacked-masked-gunman-breakingnews-com-n334386

At least 14 people were killed, 65 injured and hundreds were unaccounted for Thursday after gunmen stormed a college campus in Kenya, officials said.

Masked attackers "shot indiscriminately" and "heavy gunfire and explosions" could be heard during the hours-long standoff at Garissa University College, authorities said. The Red Cross confirmed that an unknown number of students were being held hostage.

At 6:30 a.m. ET, some 535 students of the 815 believed to be at the university had yet to be accounted for, according to a tweet sent by the country's National Disaster Operation Center. It cited Kenya's internal security minister.

Terrified students streamed out of buildings, some young men shirtless, as arriving police officers hunkered down, taking cover.

Collins Wetangula, the vice chairman of the student union, said he was preparing to take a shower when he heard gunshots.

When the gunmen arrived at his dormitory he could hear them opening doors and asking if the people who had hidden inside whether they were Muslims or Christians. "If you were a Christian you were shot on the spot," he told The Associated Press. "With each blast of the gun I thought I was going to die."

Augustine Alanga, a 21-year-old student, added that he saw at least five heavily armed, masked gunmen. He described "running barefoot" to escape through barbed-wire fencing.

Authorities said the attackers were holed-up inside dorms after a lengthy gunbattle with security services. Officials said the town had been "locked down" during the incident.

Reuters quoted an unidentified police officer at the scene as saying he'd counted 14 bodies being removed from the campus, with two colleagues among the victims. "We are finding it difficult to access the compound because some of the attackers are on top of a building and are firing at us whenever we try to gain entry," he added.

A mortuary attendant in the town of Garissa told The Associated Press that at least 15 people had been killed. Varying death tolls are common in the aftermath of such events.

The Interior Ministry said one "suspected terrorist" had been arrested trying to flee the scene.

Red Cross Kenya spokeswoman Arnolda Shiundu told NBC News that 50 students had been "safely freed" from the college compound after the attackers struck.

Shiundu said the attack began at around 5 a.m. local time (10 p.m. Wednesday ET) with an explosion at the university's gate. The masked gunmen then forced their way into the compound and moved toward accommodation for female students, she added.

The attack comes three days after President Barack Obama announced he would visit the East African country in July. The U.S. Embassy in Kenya's capital Nairobi said via its Twitter account: "We are saddened & angered by today's terrorist attack @ #Garissa Univ. Our deepest condolences 2 family/friends of victims."

The country's National Disaster Operation Center said two people had been killed in the incident, according to Reuters. The Kenya Red Cross said 30 people had been injured, four of which were "very serious."

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Shabab — the al Qaeda-linked terror group based in Somalia, whose border is around 100 miles from the college — has carried out past attacks in Kenya.

In 2013, it claimed responsibility for an assault on Nairobi's upscale Westgate Mall that left more than 60 dead.

[KRonn]

This is such a horror show. The African nations are going to have to put more emphasis on fighting these groups, as I don't see how any political accommodation can be made with such extremists to be part of any government. Such as  how several African nations are contributing to battling Boko Haram in Nigeria. It's a start.

[Neil]

The African countries need to set their resources to persecuting Muslims and Islam at home.  They don't need to worry about immigration, so surely it's just a matter of cleaning up a few hives, right?

[Monoriu]

I tried to persuade my wife to go to Kenya.   

[Valmy]

The African nations are going to have to put more emphasis on fighting these groups, as I don't see how any political accommodation can be made with such extremists to be part of any government.

Yeah but how much can they really do? AK-47s and psychos willing to kill are cheap, security is expensive.

[Iormlund]

Ah, the religion of peace strikes again.

[Valmy]

Ah, the religion of peace strikes again.

Yeah it is getting a little ridiculous. I saw this and I was like 'Oh God can it not be Muslims this time?'

It is like whenever there is a mass shooting by some lone nut in the US 'Oh God can it not be a lonely angry white dude?'

I remember a day when horrible violent crimes had more diversity.

[Iormlund]

Yeah, when I was growing up news of entire villages massacred in Algeria were accompanied by bombings by IRA, ETA, the Italian mob and the like. No more.

Perhaps we need some affirmative action for terrorists.

[Admiral Yi]

Perhaps we need some affirmative action for terrorists.

No quotas!  A more proactive outreach program should do the trick.

[Martinus]

I tried to persuade my wife to go to Kenya.   

Damn, you will have to come up with another ploy to get rid of her, now.

[frunk]

I tried to persuade my wife to go to Kenya.   

Damn, you will have to come up with another ploy to get rid of her, now.

I think she's safe as long as she makes more money than she spends.

[Martinus]

The African countries need to set their resources to persecuting Muslims and Islam at home.  They don't need to worry about immigration, so surely it's just a matter of cleaning up a few hives, right?

Yeah, seriously. This is their civil war (which also, notably, looks a lot like European reformation period wars of religion so the "Muslim Reformation" everybody was hoping for is finally here). Now they need to get their shit together and stop blaming the West or gays.

[Valmy]

Elites will never stop blaming foreigners. The CIA is responsible for the impacts of incompetence and corruption of governments around the world.