Kenya: 50 People Killed in an Islamist Attack in the Coast
By Staff Writer
At least 50 people were killed late on Sunday when suspected gunmen opened fire from two mini-vans setting two hotels on fire raiding three banks and a petrol station in Mpeketoni, officials said Monday June 16.
Heavily armed gunmen suspected to be Al-Shabaab militants from Somalia stormed into the town located near the coastal island and popular tourist resort of Lamu, late on Sunday June 15.
Gun battles continued into the early hours of Monday morning, but by dawn, the town of Mpeketoni was reported calm.
There was no immediate confirmation of casualties, but residents said the attack lasted for hours.
Major Emmanuel Chirchir Kenyan army spokesperson said the gunmen entered the western town of Mpeketoni, a trading centre on the main coastal road, and started "firing at civilians randomly in town".
The "assailants (are) likely to be Al-Shabaab," Chirchir said, referring to Somalia's Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents.
"Military surveillance planes are currently airborne to help police operations," Kenya's National Disaster Operation Centre (KNDOC) said.
The town lies on the mainland some 30 km (20 miles) southwest of Lamu Island, a popular tourist destination whose ancient architecture is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The shooting began around 8:00 pm local time, with gunshots reported up to four hours later.
Two hotels, local boarding houses in the town, were "attacked and set on fire," the disaster centre added.
A police station and three banks were also reportedly attacked, according to residents, although officials could not confirm the extent of the fighting.
"Some buildings are on fire and we are hearing gunshots," said Julius Kimotho a resident.
Benson Maisori, a senior civil servant, said four hours after attack began that "fighting is still going on".
"There were around 50 attackers, heavily armed in three vehicles, and they were flying the Al-Shabaab flag," Maisori added.
He said attackers tried to storm a police post including an armory, but officers engaged the gunmen forcing them to flee.
Restaurants and bars were reported to have been busy with people watching the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
Armed bandits also operate in the area, but army sources said that the number of gunmen involved and the apparently well planned operation pointed to the Al-Shabaab.
The militia group claimed responsibility last month for killing two Kenyan soldiers in the same district as Sunday's attack, though further north nearer to the lawless border zone with Somalia.
No group has claimed responsibility, but it was the latest in a series of attacks or bombings to hit Kenya that escalated after Operation Linda Nchi was initiated.
It was the latest in a series of attacks or bombings to hit Kenya, usually pinned on the Al-Shabaab and their sympathizers, but the reported scale and nature of this attack is rare.
Kenyan troops crossed into southern Somalia in 2011 to fight the Al-Shabaab, later joining the now 22,000-strong African Union force (AMISOM) battling the Islamists.
The group vowed revenge, carrying out attacks, including one on Nairobi's Westgate mall in September 2013 in which at least 67 people were killed.
Fuad Mohamed Khalaf one of the Al-Shabaab's senior most commanders, in May 2014, released radio broadcasts urging fighters to rise up against Kenya.
This forced hundreds of British tourists to be evacuated from beach resorts near Kenya's port city of Mombasa following new travel advisory from Britain's Foreign Office.
Britain this week released warnings to citizens in several East African nations including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, who all have troops in Somalia speaking of the threat of attacks at public screenings of the World Cup.