This archive report was first published on 26 August 2021.
On August 26, 2021, a lone gunman went on a shooting rampage in a suburb of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, leaving a trail of death and destruction in his wake.
According to reports, the unidentified attacker approached a police shed and shot two officers at point-blank range, taking their weapons in the process. He then started shooting in the air, forcing people nearby to run for cover.
The area, which is home to residents and offices of foreign missions, including the French, Japanese, Kenyan, and Russian embassies, was thrown into chaos as the gunman continued his rampage.
However, Inspector General of Police, Simon Sirro, had earlier hinted at the possibility that the attack could be linked to the insurgency in Northern Mozambique, where joint Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces are battling jihadists.
But Liberatus Sabas, Tanzania's head of police operations, later clarified that the incident is not terror-related.
Three police officers were killed in the incident, while six civilians were injured. The gunman was also shot down by police in the afternoon.
