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| Hostages feared after masked gunmen attack university in eastern Kenya | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Students and teachers are feared held hostage after masked gunmen stormed a university campus in eastern Kenya on Thursday, killing at least two people and wounding at least 30 others, police and the Red Cross said. | |
| Police who encircled the campus at the university in Garissa were joined by Kenyan soldiers as the standoff continued over several hours, Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper and Capital FM radio station reported. | |
| Reporters at the scene said students who escaped said the gunmen had gone on a killing spree. “They are just shooting randomly,” eyewitness Augustine Alanga told the BBC World Service. | |
| #BREAKING: Some of students who escaped #Garissa uni college attack report of warzone situation where gunmen stormed & went on killing spree | #BREAKING: Some of students who escaped #Garissa uni college attack report of warzone situation where gunmen stormed & went on killing spree |
| A policewoman told Reuters the gunmen were likely to have taken hostages because many students remain trapped inside the campus, home to an estimated 500 people. | |
| “Two guards who were manning the gate at the university have been killed,” she said. “We can hear gunshots from inside the compound but at this point we can’t tell who is shooting at who or what.” | “Two guards who were manning the gate at the university have been killed,” she said. “We can hear gunshots from inside the compound but at this point we can’t tell who is shooting at who or what.” |
| Kenya Red Cross, quoting local health officials, said that 30 people had been taken to hospital, “the majority” with gunshot wounds. At least four were reported to be in a serious condition. | |
| BBC Africa’s Bashkas Jugsoda’ay was on the scene and said that the gunmen stormed the campus at 4am local time. Fighting had continued since then. | |
| Kenya’s National Police Service said in a written statement that armed attackers forced their way onto the campus by shooting at guards, triggering a “fierce shootout” with police guarding student hostels. | Kenya’s National Police Service said in a written statement that armed attackers forced their way onto the campus by shooting at guards, triggering a “fierce shootout” with police guarding student hostels. |
| The statement, which did not mention a death toll, said police and members of other security agencies were “engaged in an elaborate process of flushing out the gunmen from the hostels.” | The statement, which did not mention a death toll, said police and members of other security agencies were “engaged in an elaborate process of flushing out the gunmen from the hostels.” |
| Official report of current status vide Garissa attack. Thank you for your support. pic.twitter.com/I08RUALlFG | Official report of current status vide Garissa attack. Thank you for your support. pic.twitter.com/I08RUALlFG |
| Kenya’s northern and eastern regions, which are near the Somali border, have suffered many attacks blamed on al-Qaida-linked Somali Islamist group, al-Shabab, | Kenya’s northern and eastern regions, which are near the Somali border, have suffered many attacks blamed on al-Qaida-linked Somali Islamist group, al-Shabab, |
| Al-Shabab has vowed retribution on Kenya for sending troops into Somalia to fight the militants. Kenya sent its troops there in 2011 to fight al-Shabab militants following cross-border attacks. | Al-Shabab has vowed retribution on Kenya for sending troops into Somalia to fight the militants. Kenya sent its troops there in 2011 to fight al-Shabab militants following cross-border attacks. |
| Garissa is 150km from Somalia. The town’s streets were close to empty after the gunmen attacked. | |
| #Kenya update: empty streets at #Garissa township as Univ College under attack. 2 killed, 30 injured. "@maandeeq254 pic.twitter.com/totqwbu3Vx | #Kenya update: empty streets at #Garissa township as Univ College under attack. 2 killed, 30 injured. "@maandeeq254 pic.twitter.com/totqwbu3Vx |
| Last month, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for attacks in the county of Mandera on the Somali border in which twelve people died. Four of them died in an attack on the convoy of Mandera County Governor Ali Roba. | Last month, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for attacks in the county of Mandera on the Somali border in which twelve people died. Four of them died in an attack on the convoy of Mandera County Governor Ali Roba. |
| Al-Shabab carried out large-scale attacks in Mandera last year. The militants hijacked a bus and singled out 28 non-Muslims forcing them to lie on the ground before shooting them dead. Ten days later, 36 non-Muslim quarry workers were killed by the extremists. | Al-Shabab carried out large-scale attacks in Mandera last year. The militants hijacked a bus and singled out 28 non-Muslims forcing them to lie on the ground before shooting them dead. Ten days later, 36 non-Muslim quarry workers were killed by the extremists. |
| Police statistics show that 312 people have been killed in al-Shabab attacks in Kenya from 2012 to 2014. Thirty-eight people were killed and 149 wounded in Garissa in the same period, according to police statistics. | Police statistics show that 312 people have been killed in al-Shabab attacks in Kenya from 2012 to 2014. Thirty-eight people were killed and 149 wounded in Garissa in the same period, according to police statistics. |