British holidaymakers have been warned to leave the coastal area of Lamu in Kenya, but in…
British holidaymakers have been warned to leave the coastal area of Lamu in Kenya, but in turn Kenyans have been told to avoid travelling through Heathrow Airport due to potential terror attacks.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised against all but essential travel to Lamu County, in the south-east of Kenya, not far from the Somali border, after a series of attacks have left at least 87 people dead.
But Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has a terror warning for its own citizens, telling them to avoid travelling through Heathrow Airport due to a potential attack.
A statement released by the Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho advises: ‘According to information provided by US officials, Al Qaeda operatives in Yemen and Syria were developing sophisticated bombs that could bring down a plane.
‘The information states that Britain would be the most likely country to be affected.
‘Kenyans are advised NOT to travel through London Heathrow where there is substantial threat of a possible attack.’
Instead, Mr Kibicho advised Kenyans to use different airports for connecting flights, such as Amsterdam Schipol.
While Kenyans have been told to avoid the London hub, Britons holidaying on the Indian Ocean island of Lamu – as well as in the Tana River area – have been told to leave after they were added to the FCO’s ‘avoid all but essential travel’ list of destinations in Kenya.
A total of 22 people were killed in raids last Saturday in the village of Hindi in Lamu county, and Gamba in Tana River county, according to the Kenya Red Cross.
In June 65 people were killed when gunmen launched an attack in the coastal town of Mpeketoni.
The Somali militant Islamist group al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attacks.
In May some 400 British holidaymakers returned to the UK from Kenya after 10 people were killed when two explosions hit the capital Nairobi.
The tourists were flown back from the East African country’s other main town, Mombasa, by tour operators Thomson and First Choice.
The bombings prompted the FCO to warn against all but essential travel to parts of Mombasa.
Thomson and First Choice cancelled all outbound flights to Kenya until October 31.
The latest FCO advice includes a statement which reads: ‘If you are currently in an area to which we now advise against all but essential travel you should consider whether you have an essential reason to remain. If not, you should leave the area.
‘The UK has a responsibility to inform British citizens of the potential threats aimed at both Kenya and the international community. Our travel advice reflects solely our objective assessment of the security position. It is kept under constant review.
‘To counter the shared threat of terrorism, the UK is committed to working with the Kenyan authorities to strengthen their capacity to investigate, prosecute and detain terrorists; in line with international human rights standards.’
Source:Daily Mail
