48 people Massacred in Kenya

 

At least 48 people have died after unidentified gunmen attacked hotels and a police station in a Kenyan coastal town, officials say.

Witnesses in Mpeketoni said gun battles lasted for several hours and reported seeing buildings set on fire.

The town is on the mainland near Lamu island, a well-known tourist resort.

Kenya has suffered numerous militant attacks since 2011 when its forces entered neighbouring Somalia to combat the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group.

This is the most deadly attack in Kenya since at least 67 people were killed during a siege by al-Shabab fighters at Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre last September.


District deputy commissioner Benson Maisori said several buildings in Mpeketoni had been burned down, including hotels, restaurants, banks and government offices, the AFP news agency reports.

"There were around 50 attackers, heavily armed in three vehicles, and they were flying the Shabab flag. They were shouting in Somali and shouting 'Allahu Akbar' [God is Great]," he said.

However, Lamu County police commander Leonard Omollo told Reuters news agency that it was still unclear who carried out the attack.

The gunmen singled out men, sparing the lives of women and children, he said.

The attack started at 20:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Sunday as locals were watching a football World Cup match on television.

Local residents told the BBC the gunmen hijacked a van and used it to attack various locations across Mpeketoni, which tourists travelling by road pass through before crossing to Lamu.