AL SHABAAB MILITANTS ATTACK MPEKETONI, OVERRUN POLICE STATION AND SET FIRE TO LOCAL HOTELS
Information about an attack by most likely Somali militants on a police post in Lamu county emerged last night from Kenya that the Mpeketoni police station was apparently overrun, weapons and vehicles taken and then burned before the attackers withdrew from the scene.
The old Lamu town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and very popular among tourists from all over the world but some 30 kilometres away from the attack site.
Lamu County in Kenya covers a strip of the northeastern coastal mainland and the Lamu Archipelago together with the villages of Shela, Matondoni and Kipungani and is approximately a distance of some 410 Km from the national capital, Nairobi.
The Island is believed to have been founded as far back as in the 14th century, making it Kenya’s oldest living town and the best-preserved Swahili settlement in the East African Region.
Details now circulating in Kenya speak of many dead, as the militants reportedly also attacked local restaurants, other lodging places and the fuel station, prompting local residents to flee into the bush to escape the fighting.
It is also confirmed that contingents of the Kenya Defense Forces and other security organs have been dispatched to the location and an aerial surveillance operation is underway since daylight, aimed at tracking down the attackers.
While Deputy Governor Mugo says there is no clear evidence yet of Al Shabaab involvement that is by common consensus the most likely group, directly or through an affiliate, to have carried out this organized attack. Stand by for more news as and when available.
Update 2 at 08.45 hrs local East African time:
The figure was provided by Lamu Deputy Governor Eric Mugo: The number of casualties reported has risen steadily over the past hour and now stands according to the latest report received from Mombasa at 48 dead and a significant number of injured in the face of very limited medical facilities for adequate treatment. It is understood that the Kenyan government is planning to airlift those injured to Mombasa or Nairobi to provide the best possible medical care. Many of those killed appear to be police officers and men.
There are also suggestions being made now in the Kenyan media that while the police station in Mpeketoni raised the alarm before 9 pm it took the upper echelons in the chain of command up to four hours to get their act together to begin responding.
A Mombasa based source, on condition of anonymity, alleged that 'these people were busy watching World Cup matches and that why it took so long' - which if true would paint a devastating picture of the state of alertness and preparedness of the Kenyan security apparatus.
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| Kenya Tourist town under attack and hotels set on fire |
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| Kenya Tourist town under attack and hotels set on fire |
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| Kenya Tourist town under attack and hotels set on fire |
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| Kenya Tourist town under attack and hotels set on fire |
UPDATED at 08.10 hrs local East African time:
Latest information received just before 8 a.m. indicates that the death toll may have risen to some 30 though no full picture is yet available on the damage, casualties overall and those injured. The figure was provided by Lamu Deputy Governor Eric Mugo.
It is also confirmed that contingents of the Kenya Defense Forces and other security organs have been dispatched to the location and an aerial surveillance operation is underway since daylight, aimed at tracking down the attackers.
While Deputy Governor Mugo says there is no clear evidence yet of Al Shabaab involvement that is by common consensus the most likely group, directly or through an affiliate, to have carried out this organized attack.
Update 3: Mpeketoni is about 100 kilometres from the border with Somalia and about 30 kilometres south of Lamu itself. This part of Kenya is not on any tourism circuit and few foreigners have ever set foot into the small town. Information from trustworthy sources at the Kenya coast now speak of at least 30 attackers, many of them described as ethnic Somalis. Many of the victims were reportedly shot dead at the local hotel where they were watching a FIFA World Cup match. The death toll is expected to rise further as critically wounded are still awaiting treatment though some have been evacuated by air to hospitals for emergency surgery.
Kenya's security chiefs meanwhile face a tsunami of calls in the mainstream media and on the social media to resign or else to be sacked for once again failing to protect Kenyans.
http://www.eturbonews.com/46957/kenya-tourism-lamu-county-under-attack-and-local-hotels-set-fire
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