Kenya Faces Higher Risk of ‘Terrorist’ Attacks, Australia Says

Kenya’s capital Nairobi and the coastal city of Mombasa face increased risk of attacks by extremists, the Australian government said.

“We continue to receive regular reports that terrorists are planning a range of attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa,” Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs said in an updated travel advisory published on its website today. The country’s citizens should avoid the cities, according to the statement.

The East African nation endured its worst attack by Islamist militants in 15 years in September when al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab gunmen stormed an upmarket shopping mall in Nairobi, killing at least 67 civilians and security personnel. The group said the attack was revenge for the Kenyan troop presence in Somalia, where al-Shabaab wants to oust the government.