Kenyan hotel bombing

On November 28, 2002, the Kenyan hotel bombing took place.

Three suicide bombers detonated an SUV in the lobby of the Paradise Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, killing 13 people and injuring 80. Among the dead were three Israeli tourists who presumably were the targets of the attack, and 10 Kenyans, mostly members of a dance troupe. About 20 minutes earlier, two surface-to-air missiles were fired at an Arkia Boeing 757 airliner carrying 271 people, narrowly missing the aircraft.

US and Israeli officials suspected a Somali group linked to al-Qaeda was responsible for the bombing and speculated that the suspects had smuggled the missiles into Kenya from Somalia. 12 people were arrested in connection with the hotel bombing, including six Pakistanis and four Somalis, as well as an American and her Spanish husband, both of whom were later released.

Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for this attack on the Jehad.net website, which since had been taken down.

Links and references

• Kenyan May Have Talked to Bombers, Washington Post, December 2, 2002
• After Blast, Kenya Reviews Qaeda's Trail in East Africa, The New York Times, December 1, 2002
• ATTACKS IN MOMBASA: Kenyans Hunting for Clues; Bombing Toll Rises to 13, The New York Times, November 30, 2002
• THE GRIEVERS: Israelis Return in Trauma From Supposed Haven, The New York Times, November 30, 2002
• INVESTIGATION: U.S. Suspects Qaeda Link to Bombing in Mombasa, The New York Times, November 30, 2002
• Source of Bombs? Kenyans Look North, The New York Times, November 30, 2002
• AT THE SITE: Survivor Saw Bombers' Race to Death, The New York Times, November 30, 2002