Kenyan police, Muslim youth clash

Kenyan anti riot police officers detain Muslim youths outside Masjid Musa in Majengo, Mombasa on February 2, 2014.

Kenyan anti riot police officers detain Muslim youths outside Masjid Musa in Majengo, Mombasa on February 2, 2014.

Published Apr 4, 2014

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Mombasa -

Kenyan police and Muslim youths clashed in Mombasa on Friday following weekly prayers, witnesses said, days after a firebrand Islamist cleric was gunned down in the port city.

Security was tight and tensions high around the Musa mosque, seen by Kenyan authorities as a terrorist propaganda hub and recruiting ground for jihadists.

A prominent cleric closely associated with the mosque, Abubaker Shariff Ahmed better known as Makaburi, was shot dead in Mombasa on Tuesday.

Makaburi was a vocal supporter of al-Qaeda and Somalia's Shebab rebels and prior to his death had accused Kenyan security forces of seeking to kill him.

After Friday's prayers, worshippers and police fought brief running battles including stone-throwing and the use of tear gas.

AFP reporters at the scene said the protesters quickly dispersed amid a massive security presence. - Sapa-AFP

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