Somali militant group Al-Shabaab on Tuesday killed two police officers and injured two others in Kenya’s coastal town of Lamu in its latest attack in the tourism resort region.
Coast Regional Police Commander Larry Kieng said the officers were escorting a convoy of six buses when they were ambushed along the Malindi Lamu highway.
Kieng said a group of heavily armed militants emerged from the forest and sprayed a police escort vehicle with bullets that had four occupants.
“During the shootout two officers were killed and two others injured. The officers were evacuated to Lamu hospital with serious bullet wounds,” Kieng told Xinhua by phone.
The police commander said no passenger was injured during the incident since the majority were Muslim.
“The militants demanded for passengers’ manifests that indicated that they were Muslims. They were spared after a Somali passenger pleaded with them to let the buses pass,” Kieng said.
The militants gave the passengers Jihad leaflets/CD cards before letting all the buses to proceed their destinations.
The attack came barely three days after police destroyed six Al-Shabaab camps in the vast Boni forest. During the operation weapons and medicine were recovered.
Kieng said a combined team of military and police are combing the forest to hunt down the militants.
Reports indicate that the militants are targeting both police and civilians within Lamu. The ongoing operation Linda Boni has reduced terrorist attacks in the coastal region.
