Al Shabaab Attack Leaves Five Decapitated, Homes Torched in Lamu County
In an attack by al Shabaab on the villages of Salama and Juhudi in the Mkunumbi Division of Lamu County. At least five men were decapitated and numerous houses were set on fire.
Saturday at approximately 7.30 p.m. According to witnesses and police, the attackers raided the villages, dragged the victims from their homes, and tied their hands and legs with ropes behind their backs before executing them.
The victims of the Saturday night attack are all men, including 19-year-old Barack Hussein, a Form Three student at Bakania Secondary School.
The student had returned home for a midterm break before his death.
Moments later, security teams from Lamu County rushed to the scene, but no arrests were made.
Louis Rono, the county commissioner, said he was aware of the attack in Salama village but had no additional information.
“Yes, there was an attack in a village, and we are on our way there,” he stated without providing further information.
According to witnesses and the police, a group of over thirty men armed with firearms, machetes, and knives attacked early in the evening.
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According to the witnesses, the men wore military uniforms when they invaded their homes. They then commanded everyone present to lie down and refrain from raising alarm.
Women were led to separate rooms and then released. The attackers slaughtered five individuals and then stole food items, chickens, and goats before torching a store.
The area has been tense due to fears of an attack by the terrorist organization.
This is the most recent incident of this type to occur in the region amid efforts to combat the threat of terrorism.
In January 2022, thugs attacked the same Salama and Juhudi villages, killing six individuals and torching more than ten dwellings.
A week prior, two Kenya Defense Forces soldiers were killed and others were injured when their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) on the road.
In the past few months, terrorists have planted bombs on routes near the Kenya-Somalia border, killing at least 30 people, including security agents.
Nine years ago, terrorists attacked Mpeketoni and the surrounding area, killing 90 people and displacing many.
It also followed Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki’s three-day visit to Lamu to assess the security situation in the region, during which he assured residents of Lamu and Kenyans in general that their safety is assured.
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Kindiki added that the government will do everything necessary to combat and eradicate the terror threat in the country.
“We have already set aside Sh20 billion for the purchase of advanced security equipment, such as armored personnel carriers, drones, and other gadgets so that our security agencies can effectively combat terrorism,” said the cabinet secretary.
The border region has borne the brunt of militants’ repeated attacks, which are sometimes aided by locals.
Since Siad Barre’s overthrow in 1991, Somalia has lacked a stable government.
The region is close to the Somalia border, and militants frequently cross and launch attacks before fleeing back.
Al Shabaab Attack Leaves Five Decapitated, Homes Torched in Lamu County
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