Kenya: 9 beheaded in suspected Al-Shabaab attack
Nine people in Kenya were beheaded in a suspected Al-Shabaab attack in the district of Lamu, police say.
Local residents revealed the details of the attack to members of the press, on the condition of anonymity. The attack comes days after the militant group killed three police officers in a nearby village.
9 beheaded in Lamu
Local witnesses confirmed the death toll to news agencies. Nine men from two villages were killed in the attack, which has prompted local authorities to announce a three-month curfew in parts of Lamu, Garissa and Tana River – all common targets for the Al-Shabaab.
“They raided Jima and Pandanguo villages and killed nine men,” one local resident told Reuters. “They were slaughtered like chickens, using knives.”
Kenya has seen an increase of attacks claimed by Al-Shabaab in recent weeks, as the country gears up for presidential elections next month. Kenya has been the victim of dozens of deadly attacks in recent years – a retaliation against its role in the international fight against the militant group in neighbouring Somalia.
A different kind of attack
While Al-Shabaab beheadings aren’t uncommon in Somalia, this kind of attack is a rare thing in Kenya. The militant group normally relies on homemade bombs and firearms to conduct its attacks on Kenyan targets, which only makes the brutal nature of Saturday’s attack more obvious.
Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta has given no official statement about the recent attacks taking place in Kenya. However, he did say his government was looking into Saturday’s events.
“We have had an unfortunate incident this morning that we are currently assessing and addressing,” he said later on Saturday.
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