Mode Of Transportation - Working Class Bar Targeted - 2 Grenade Blasts Rattle Nairobi; 1 Dead After Blue - The Washington Post

Authorities said it was too soon to name suspects in either blast, though the small-scale blasts targeted Kenyans rather than foreigners as the U.S. warning had suggested.

Al-Shabab is loosely affiliated with al-Qaida and has carried out several sophisticated suicide attacks, including a bombing that killed more than 100 in Somalia s capital earlier this month and an attack in Uganda s capital that killed 76 people in July 2010.

One Nairobi-based security official, who is not allowed to be quoted by name, said al-Shabab has bombing down to a fine art. Throwing grenades, he said, is not their style, though the fact the attacks came so close to the U.S. Embassy warning was hard to ignore.

The first grenade blast toppled chairs and tables at a blue-collar bar near downtown Nairobi around 1:15 a.m. Monday, wounding 12 people. Later in the evening, a blast went off as throngs of people crowded the sidewalk and tried to jam their way onto raucous mini-busses known as matatus, the primary mode of transportation for Kenya s working class.

The Red Cross said one person was killed and eight wounded in the second attack. Peter Ndungu Kiarie, 35, said he was in his vehicle when he heard the second explosion and saw people rushing toward him. Many people were wounded in the legs, he said, suggesting the grenade was lying on the ground.

Police have tightened security around hotels, bridges and fuel depots, police said. But the two attacks spurred debate over al-Shabab s involvement and what might happen next.

This was the al-Shabab. Maybe they wanted to strike earlier in the day or week but the saw that there was a lot of security was tight. I think it is an act of desperation targeting this pub in the backstreet of Nairobi, said resident Peninah Ndinda.

Eric Agade, a 30-year-old restaurant worker, disagreed: Somebody is taking advantage of the situation. This is not al-Shabab. Al-Shabab will target somewhere big. This is such a small target.

Nevertheless, the attacks are bound to have a profound effect on Nairobi residents feeling of security. Josphat Karuri, 42, the owner of a liquor store across the street from the attacked pub, said he expects to lose business, though he supports Kenya s military incursion into Somalia.

It has created a lot tension and fear. Like now that I have opened there are no customers. Usually at this time I am normally busy, he said Monday afternoon. I think Kenya is totally right pursuing the al-Shabab. . We are worried that they may strike back but even though the worry is there we need to flush them out. If we keep quiet they may hit harder.