Israel's intelligence agency Mossad knew al-Qaeda was planning attacks in Mombasa a few days before Israeli tourists were targeted in there, Israeli military radio reported today.
Military intelligence chief Gen Yossi Kuperwasser told parliament's defence and foreign affairs committee that Mossad "received advance information on planned al-Qaeda attacks in Africa and notably Mombasa in Kenya", the radio said.
However, the information was "very general" and it was not clear when al-Qaeda would carry out its strike. It was also not known whether the attacks were to hit Israeli nationals.
Ten Kenyans and three Israelis died in a suicide bomb attack in a hotel near Mombasa last week, about the same time as an Israeli passenger plane taking off from the city's airport narrowly escaped two missile attacks.
A statement claiming to be from al-Qaeda said today it carried out the attacks. A US official said the claim looked credible. AFP