Security has been heightened in Garisa county after a group of al-Shabaab militants ambushed a bus in Garissa county on the morning of Friday, killing two Christians on the spot.

According to International Christian Concern, the terrorists, armed with AK 47 refiles, ordered the passengers off the bus and demanded to see their identification, in order to try and determine which of them were Christians and which were Muslims based off of their names. This is a tactic the terrorist group has used before.

When the terrorists suspected that three of the passengers were followers of Jesus, they were separated from the rest of the group. The militants demanded that the three non-Muslim passengers recite the Islamic Statement of Faith, however when two refused they were tied up and immediately executed.

The deceased were the bus mechanic and a passenger, a casual labourer on transit to Masalani town.

“ICC is following up with the families of these two martyrs. This group’s intense hatred and violence has caused massive pain for many families and friends of Christians like these two,” the watchdog group said.

Following the incident, Garissa Governor Ali Korane condemned the attack calling for religious unity and end to schism for the sake of peace among local residents. “They want to wage war on grounds of faith and ethnicity. We will not allow this. Kenyans from other parts of the country will be part and parcel of our communities. No one will divide us,” said Korane.

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