Zanzibar Acid Attack: Finger Pointed at Radical Islamic Group as Five Questioned over Assault on British Teenager

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Five men are being questioned by police over the acid attack on two British charity volunteers in Zanzibar as suspicion grew that a radical Islamic group may have inspired the assault

Religious leaders on the Indian Ocean island believe the two men who threw acid over teenagers Kirstie Trup and Katie Gee may be followers of Uamsho, which wants Zanzibar to become independent of mainland Tanzania and impose stricter Muslim rules.

In the past year there have been attacks on Muslim and Catholic leaders on the island, including an acid attack and a fatal shooting. All of the men were detained late on Thursday and in the early hours of Friday in Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar.

The two women, both aged 18 and from north London, were expected back in the UK at lunchtime today after being evacuated from Tanzania on a specially-chartered private medical evacuation flight.

“There are five people we have, all men, who we are interrogating over this matter this morning,” said Mkadam Khamis, regional police commissioner in Zanzibar. » | Mike Pflanz, Stone Town, Zanzibar, Gordon Rayner and Victoria Ward | Friday, August 09, 2013