This archive report was first published on 5 January 2020.
On January 4, 2020, a police truck was seen parked near the International House in Nairobi, as security officers in the city looked to be on high alert.
The increased presence of security forces came after the killing of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in an American air strike attack on January 3, 2020.
According to reports, there were at least 50 multi-agency officers at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi's central business district, with a truck and two Land Rover vehicles full of police officers parked nearby.
Anti-terror police were also spotted at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where flights to Lamu were suspended following the attack.
As tensions between the US and Iran escalated, security operations at all American installations in Kenya were beefed up, with a GSU officer confirming that security had been heightened.
On January 5, 2020, al-Shabaab militia attempted to attack Manda Airstrip in Lamu, which hosts both US and Kenyan soldiers, but the attack was neutralized, leaving four terrorists dead.
United States President Donald Trump had ordered the assassination of Soleimani after learning he was planning to kill US diplomats.
