Tanzania probes gun attack near French embassy after 5 deaths

August 26, 2021 Elwin Mandowa

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Tanzania’s president on Wednesday ordered investigations into the gun attack that took place near the French embassy in Dar es Salaam.

Five people died in the incident, including three police officers and a soldier when a gunman opened fire near the Embassy.

According to Tanzania’s head of police operations, Liberatus Sabas the gunman attacked two police officers, took their guns and then “began shooting sporadically towards the French Embassy.”

“He then took cover at a structure next to the French Embassy where he continued shooting,” Sabas said.

Police said the armed man was a foreigner and police believe he was from Somalia.

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President Samia Suluhu Hassan said after the incident that three police officers, a member of the auxiliary police and the armed man were killed as she orders for an investigation.

She offered her condolences to families of those who lost their lives in the incident.

Natoa pole kwa Jeshi la Polisi na familia za Askari 3, na Askari 1 wa kampuni ya ulinzi ya SGA waliopoteza maisha baada ya mtu aliyekuwa na silaha kuwashambulia katika eneo la Salenda, Dar es Salaam.
Mtu huyo amedhibitiwa na hali ni shwari. Nawaagiza Polisi kuchunguza kwa kina.

— Samia Suluhu (@SuluhuSamia) August 25, 2021

Wednesday’s shooting incident occurred not far from the scene of the deadly bombing in 1998 at the U.S. Embassy.

Tanzania’s Inspector general of police Simon Sirro has warned that the attack could be linked to the jihadist insurgency in neighbouring Mozambique, where a growing number of African nations are jointly pursuing the fighters.

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