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| Kenya attack: Mpeketoni near Lamu hit by 'Islamist' raid | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| At least 48 people have died after suspected Islamist militants attacked hotels and a police station in a Kenyan coastal town, officials say. | At least 48 people have died after suspected Islamist militants attacked hotels and a police station in a Kenyan coastal town, officials say. |
| Witnesses in Mpeketoni said gun battles went on for several hours and reported seeing buildings set on fire. | Witnesses in Mpeketoni said gun battles went on for several hours and reported seeing buildings set on fire. |
| The town is on the mainland near Lamu island, a well-known tourist resort. | |
| Kenya has suffered numerous militant attacks since 2011 when its forces entered neighbouring Somalia to combat al-Shabab fighters. | |
| This is the most deadly attack in Kenya since at least 67 people were killed during a siege at Nairobi's Westgate shopping centre last September. | |
| The BBC's Yusuf Dayo in Nairobi says the attack started at 20:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Sunday as locals were watching a football World Cup match on television. | |
| Local residents told the BBC the gunmen hijacked a van and used it to attack various locations across Mpeketoni, which tourists pass through before crossing to Lamu. | |
| Witnesses said gunmen, who had their faces covered, threw explosives into the local police station before entering and stealing weapons. | Witnesses said gunmen, who had their faces covered, threw explosives into the local police station before entering and stealing weapons. |
| Kenya has been on high alert recently following warnings that al-Shabab was planning more attacks. | Kenya has been on high alert recently following warnings that al-Shabab was planning more attacks. |
| The US and UK have issued advisories to their nationals to keep away from the Kenyan coast. | The US and UK have issued advisories to their nationals to keep away from the Kenyan coast. |
| Sunday's attack comes days after the UK government closed its consulate in the port city of Mombasa, citing heightened security threats. | |
| Timeline of Somali raids in Kenya | |
| September 2011: UK national Judith Tebbutt kidnapped and her husband David killed in raid on Kiwayu island, north of Lamu. She was released six months later by a pirate gang | |
| October 2011: Kenya sends troops into Somalia following Tebbutt's kidnapping and cross-border raids by al-Shabab; Al-Shabab warns of revenge attacks | |
| Since then, numerous attacks in Nairobi, Mombasa and north-eastern region of Kenya, inhabited by ethnic Somalis | |
| September 2013: At least 67 people killed after al-Shabab militants take control of Westgate shopping centre in Nairobi | |
| May 2014: UK issues travel advisory, warning of increased risk of terror attack in Nairobi and coastal areas - UK tourists evacuated | |
| June 2014: At least 48 people killed in raid on Mpeketoni | |
| Surveillance aircraft | |
| District deputy commissioner Benson Maisori said several buildings in Mpeketoni had been burned down, including hotels, restaurants, banks and government offices, AFP news agency reports. | |
| Bozo Jenje, a journalist in Mombasa, told the BBC that residents had reported seeing bodies scattered across roads in the town. | Bozo Jenje, a journalist in Mombasa, told the BBC that residents had reported seeing bodies scattered across roads in the town. |
| Local resident John Waweru, 28, said two of his brothers had been killed. | |
| "The attackers came in around 9pm. I heard them shouting in Somali as they fired around. I lost two of my brothers, and I escaped. I ran and locked up myself in a house," he told AFP. | |
| Local police chief Hamaton Mwaliko told Reuters news agency the gunmen had also raided the police station. | |
| "We understand the attackers have already fled but our officers are pursuing them," Mr Mwaliko added. | |
| Army spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir said surveillance aircraft had been dispatched to the region to help with the security operation. | |
| Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has summoned Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku and police chief David Kimaiyo to discuss the security situation, the BBC's Caroline Karobia reports from Nairobi. | |
| Questions are being asked about how gunmen could raid a town for about five hours without an adequate response from the security forces, she says. | |
| Nearby Lamu island is a popular tourist destination with ancient architecture that is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. | Nearby Lamu island is a popular tourist destination with ancient architecture that is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site. |
| UK national Judith Tebbutt was kidnapped by gunmen in September 2011 from the remote resort of Kiwayu, north-east of Lamu island. | |
| The gang also shot dead her 58-year-old husband, David Tebbutt. | |
| Mrs Tebbutt was released six months later after a ransom was paid to pirates holding her captive in Somalia. | |
| Are you in Mpeketoni? Have you been affected by the recent activities? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the title 'Mpeketoni'. | Are you in Mpeketoni? Have you been affected by the recent activities? You can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using the title 'Mpeketoni'. |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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