Gunmen Kill at Least 29 in Two Attacks on Kenyan Coast

Gunmen Kill at Least 29 in Two Attacks on Kenyan Coast

(Reuters) – Gunmen killed at least 29 people in two coastal areas of Kenya in raids the deputy president indicated on Sunday were the work of political rivals, despite Somali Islamists al Shabaab claiming responsibility.

The raids will hammer Kenya’s beleaguered tourist industry after a wave of militant attacks and will deepen public frustrations about poor security, a day before a big opposition rally in the capital. The Interior Ministry said one of the Saturday night attacks killed nine in the trading town of Hindi in Lamu County, close to where 65 people were killed by gunmen last month in Mpeketoni.

Another was further south in the Gamba area, where 20 died.

“They went around shooting at people and villages indiscriminately,” said Abdallah Shahasi, a senior official for the Hindi area, which lies near the old trading port of Lamu.

Militant raids on the coast have fanned an already tense political atmosphere in Kenya, which has sent troops to join African Union soldiers battling al Shabaab in neighbouring Somalia.

Read the full story at Reuters.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.