By Andrew Wasike
NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – Over 60 terrorists affiliated with the al-Shabaab terror group from Somalia on Tuesday targeted civilians in Kenya’s Lamu County, killing two and injuring at least 10 others.
In a statement on Tuesday, Kenya's Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki confirmed the attack on the busy Garsen-Witu-Lamu Highway in Lamu County, approximately 241 kilometers (150 miles) northeast of the capital Nairobi, saying two travelers were killed and 10 others injured who were taken to the hospital.
The Kenyan government official noted that a combined security operation is underway to deal with the terrorists and locate “missing civilians.”
According to authorities, the tragic assault unfolded in the Nyongoro area of Lamu County, where the terrorists carried out a meticulously planned attack on unsuspecting civilians.
A swift response from different security forces, including the Kenya defense forces and the police, helped contain the situation and prevent further loss of life, the official said, adding that the authorities pursued the militants who fled towards the porous Kenya-Somali border.
Al-Shabaab, a terrorist group based in neighboring Somalia, has been known to target Kenya.
Their first major attack on Kenyan soil was in 2011, and since then, the East African nation has faced several acts of terrorism from the extremist group.
One of the deadliest attacks occurred in April 2015 when al-Shabaab gunmen stormed Garissa University College, killing more than 140 students.