Somali Army inspects Al Shabaab arms
Somali Army inspects Al Shabaab armsReuters

At least one was murdered and 11 were wounded Sunday in a grenade attack on a church in Kenya by a terrorist group linked to Al Qaeda.

Three of the wounded were critically injured and were evacuated by helicopter, according to the Red Cross in Kenya. A police chaplain later died of his wounds, Garissa County Commissioner Mohamud Ma'alim said.

The bombing occurred during a service at the Utawala Interdenominational Church, located in a police compound in the northeastern Kenyan town of Garissa.

Two Al Shabab attacks on Garissa churches in July left 17 people dead.

In September, the group attacked a church in Nairobi. Among the dead was a nine-year-old boy.

In addition, the group attacked a hotel where Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud was speaking with reporters at a joint news conference with the visiting Kenyan foreign minister. Both were unhurt but eight people died.

The Somalia-based Al Shabab Muslim extremist terror group has been attacking Kenya, it says, due to its government's decision to help the Somali government fight the Islamist extremists.

Last year, Kenya sent troops into Somalia to help with the battle against the Al Shabab, who are considered a threat to Kenya's security as well.

Al Shabab has been blamed for abductions of foreign tourists and international humanitarian aid workers in Kenya.

Two Al Shabab suicide bombers attacked a restaurant on Saturday in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. They killed the security guard but were stopped from entering the building, where they probably would have carried out wholesale slaughter.

The bombers opened fire at the guard at the gate, and as soon as they entered, two blasts were heard, a witness told reporters. “The guards fought the bombers and denied them access,” he said.