28 killed in attack on Kenyan coastal settlement

Kenyan police on Monday in Mombasa confirmed  that at least 28
people, including a policeman were killed and an unconfirmed
number of others were injured in Sunday night’s attack in the
coastal town of Mpeketoni in eastern Kenya.
Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo warned that the toll
could rise with rescue still underway in the busy town, where bars
and cafes were packed with fans watching the FIFA World Cup.
Police Spokesperson Zipporah Mboroki said that more than 50
masked gunmen descended on the busy town and sprayed bullets
on villagers and torched several houses and buildings, including
the local Equity Bank branch.
He said the attackers also took away some civilian and police
vehicles before setting an administration police camp on fire.
Military spokesman Emmanuel Chirchir confirmed the attack and
blamed the Somali insurgents behind the latest attacks in the
coastal town, which had been previously hit by bandits.
He said surveillance aircraft was already airborne.
Eric Mugo, Lamu District Deputy Governor said the assailants who
entered the town on Sunday night were heavily armed and took
advantage of darkness to cause mayhem on the residents of
Mpeketoni.
“We are still combing the area but there is a lot of tension in the
area,” he said.
Kenya has vowed to continue with the anti-terror war and urged
its countrymen to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious
to the authorities.
The attack came two days after the British government closed its
consulate office in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa, citing
security concerns.
The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it would
provide normal consular assistance to its nationals through the
Nairobi embassy.
Stephen Burns, Spokesman for the British High Commission in
Nairobi confirmed the development, saying the decision had been
taken after careful assessment of the security on ground