Police call off hunt for gunmen in Tanga

By: Unknown on 1:07 AM

Tanga Regional Commissioner, Said Mgarula

Police have called off the operation against gunmen who on Saturday clashed with security personnel at Amboni caves in Tanga municipality.

 

Giving the updates to newsmen in Tanga yesterday, the Regional Commissioner Said Magarula confirmed that the police had brought to an end the two-day operation and noted that the gunmen were not linked to the infamous terrorist group – Al-Shabaab.

 

A soldier with the Tanzania People’s Defence Forces (TPDF) was killed and several others survived serious injuries in a battle with the gunmen last week claimed to be linked with the terrorist group.

He said manhunt investigations to nab the assailants will continue as per police regular patrol duties.

 

“I can confirm to you that police are going on with regular activities including searching for the armed robbers. Police have been hunting the thugs as they robbed two guns from two police officers last month. “They are not terrorists,” he said noting that the operations carried out around the caves and at nearby villages did not succeed to net any of the criminals.

 

Earlier, media reports from the battlefront in Karasha suburb had it that about 80 policemen were deployed to intensify the security in the area.

 

In a telephone interview yesterday, the Regional Commissioner who is also the chairman of the Regional Defence and Security Committee  pointed out that security  in the area has been restored and people were going about their daily activities.

 

“We did not find armed robbers at the scene. The operation has been conducted to our best practices there are no additional injuries and the security at the areas is quite okay,” noted the RC.  

 

Magarula did not explain actions taken by the government to shelter residents who fled their homes but insisted that the area was not a residential place.

 

Speaking to The Guardian yesterday, Home Affairs Minister Mathias Chikawe did not go into details but instead advised this paper to contact the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ernest Mangu who is in Tanga for the purpose.

 

However when reached for comment IGP Mangu said he was not in Tanga and that the matter was in the hands of the Regional Police Commander Fraser Kashai.

 

RPC Kashai when contacted by phone to explain the number of people arrested in connection with the two-day massive police operation said he was not in office and therefore had nothing to comment.