NAIROBI, Kenya
Six people have been confirmed dead and several others injured following an attack by suspected al-Shabaab militants in Mpeketoni, Lamu County, southern Kenya.
In the morning attack at Widhu Majembeni area,
several houses were also burnt down by people armed with crude weapons and
pangas raising questions on who the perpetrators were.
According to locals who spoke to Nation.Africa,
the attack could be linked to ongoing politics in the area.
“How can alleged al-Shabaab terrorists use
pangas we know them they use guns but this attack is linked to politics on the
ground. We know Mpeketoni is a determinant in county politics considering its
population. We want police to investigate this,” said one of the locals.
Lamu police commander Moses Mureithi confirmed
the death of the six and promised to share more details as they were still on
the ground.
“We are working on the issue as we establish
how many houses were burnt and people injured. We shall share more information
soon but we have cordoned off the area trying to get the perpetrators,” said Mr.
Mureithi.
In June 2014, more than 60 people were killed
in attacks in and near the Mpeketoni area. The Somalia-based Al-Shabaab
militant group claimed responsibility, but after investigations, police
asserted that the attacks were organised by local politicians with ties to a
network of gangs.
No comments:
Post a Comment