al Shabaab

Two church leaders in Kenya were attacked Thursday morning by unknown gunmen in the city of Garissa. Pastor Abdi Welli was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital and Pastor Ibrahim Makunyi was immediately rushed to a hospital, where his condition was described as stable and out of danger.

A pastor was killed and 11 others wounded in the eastern Kenyan town of Garissa on Sunday when suspected Islamic extremists launched a grenade through the sheet-iron roof of Utawala Interdenominational Church during the worship service.

Kenyan police are investigating a deadly attack on a church in the capital city of Nairobi on Sunday, and Christians in Tanzania have also been under attack by radical Muslims.

Protestant churches in Kenya are suing the country's federal government, alleging a lack of help and protection following recent attacks by Islamic extremists.

"Kenya and the border area between Kenya and Somalia has become a dangerous place for followers of Christ, as well as aid workers trying to help those caught in the chaos and poverty," Open Doors USA president/CEO Dr. Carl Moeller said.

Two July 1 church attacks that killed 17 and wounded more than 60 are the work of Somalia-based al Shabaab militants, who claimed responsibility via Twitter as retaliation for Kenyan Defense Forces incursions into Somalia.

Kenyan churches are tightening security after a lone attacker exploded a grenade inside an evangelical church in Nairobi on Sunday, killing one person and injuring 16.

A grenade blast at a Nairobi church killed a 27-year-old university student and injured 16, four of whom remain in critical condition.

Islamic radical groups around Africa are coalescing around al Qaeda, united in their aim to eliminate Christians from their countries.