On Tuesday morning, al-Shabaab militants killed 36 miners, most of them Christian.
On Tuesday morning, the extremist group al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the deaths of 36 mineworkers in Kenya.
The Islamic extremists came up on the quarry workers in the dead of night and surrounded their camp, which was in an isolated location. They lead the workers by gunpoint to a nearby hill covered with gravel. Workers were separated by faith; those who could recite the Shahada, or Muslim statement of faith, were taken to the side, but the others were told to lie facedown. Reportedly, most of the workers lying on the floor subscribed to the Christian faith.
The 36 individuals, most of them young men, were executed. According to a survivor, the militants shot most of the victims in the back of the head, while others were decapitated. The militants reportedly spared all those who were Muslim.
“Innocent Kenyan lives have been lost, in a most harrowing manner, to these animals,” stated Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya, in response to the attack.
The violence committed by al-Shabaab, an affiliate of al-Qaida in southern Somalia, has been ongoing. Just two weeks prior, a bus full of Kenyans was stopped and the passengers were separated by faith. Muslim passengers who could recite the Shahada were spared, and those who could not were killed.
Many Kenyans have voiced their concerns over the lack of security and the inability of the security forces to effectively respond to the crisis.
Analysts believe that the religiously charged attacks may lead to conflict between religious communities in Kenya, which is what al-Shabaab desires. In order to prevent such disputes, leaders in Kenya are urging citizens to keep the peace.
“I know we are all under a lot of pressure, but I appeal to each one of us: This is not a time to be cowed by the enemy,” said President Kenyatta.
