Zanzibar (Tanzania) (AFP) - Tanzanian police on Saturday hunted for suspects amid tightened security a day after an explosion at a mosque in the busy capital of Zanzibar killed a Muslim preacher and wounded several people.
The blast from a homemade bomb was the latest in a series of explosions on the Indian Ocean island, whose economy depends on tourism.
"We ask members of the community for assistance in providing information that will lead us to arrest," the police said in a statement Saturday.
The blast area in Zanzibar's Stone Town was cordoned off Saturday as police scoured the area for clues.
Police named the victim as Sheikh Mohammed Abdalla Mkombalaguha, who had recently arrived from the Tanga region on the Tanzanian mainland.
Senior police chief Yussuf Ilembo said several suspects had been questioned but none arrested.
"We need help to find the thugs," he said.
The attack coincided with the opening of the Zanzibar International Film Festival, which has drawn a number of international visitors, and bars and restaurants have also been packed with people watching World Cup matches.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Zanzibari police spokesman Mkdam Khamis said the motive for the attack was unclear.
However, they were investigating reports that the killed preacher had links with a Muslim cleric in neighbouring Kenya's port city of Mombasa, Sheikh Mohamed Idris, who was killed by gunmen earlier this month.
Zanzibar has been the scene of sectarian and political tensions in recent years, although the island has been generally quiet for several months.
In February two improvised bombs exploded at Stone Town's Anglican cathedral and a seafront bar popular with tourists, without causing any casualties.
Last year suspected Islamist attackers hurled acid into the faces of two British teenage girls as they strolled through Stone Town, as Zanzibar's Muslim majority were preparing to celebrate the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Some have blamed the hardline Islamic group Uamsho, Swahili for "The Awakening", a minority group that is believed to be growing in influence, especially among disaffected and jobless youth.
While the group denies involvement in any of the attacks, they have widely succeeded in funnelling cultural and political tensions into support for radical Islam.
The unrest had sparked fears of a tourist exodus from Zanzibar, which is famed for its pristine white-sand beaches and is heavily reliant on tourism.
Britain's Foreign Office updated its advisory to citizens on Saturday, noting the attack and warning of "an underlying threat from terrorism."
There have also been wider tensions surrounding this year's 50th anniversary of Zanzibar's union with mainland Tanzania, with some opposition political parties wanting to break ties and return to independence.
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