At least 14 killed in Kenya after gunmen launch attack in popular tourist area
Unidentified gunmen set fire to at least three hotels and a petrol station on Sunday evening, police said.
At least 14 people have been killed following an attack by suspected militants in a popular tourist area of Kenya.
Unidentified gunmen set fire to at least three hotels and a petrol station on Sunday evening, police said.
The attackers arrived at Mpeketoni on mainland Lamu in a van and then also attacked a police station.
"I can confirm that 14 people were killed in the Mpeketoni attack [last] night," Zipporah Mboroki, Kenyan police spokeswoman, told Reuters news agency by telephone.
The Interior Ministry had earlier reported on its Twitter feed that the attackers had arrived in two public minibuses and started shooting at residents.
"Attackers hijacked a van from Witu town which they used for the attacks. They raided Mpeketoni police station first and opened fire," Hamaton Mwaliko, Mpeketoni area administration police chief said.
"Some hotels in the town are on fire. We don't know how many casualties are there for now. We understand the attackers have already fled but our officers are pursuing them."
The nearby island of Lamu is a popular tourist destination in Kenya.
Al Shabaab, which has fought a bloody seven-year campaign to impose its interpretation of Islamic law inside Somalia, has said it wants to take revenge for Kenya's deployment of troops in the Horn of Africa nation.
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