MAPOROMOKO, Kenya — In a pre-dawn raid on a predominantly Christian area in coastal Kenya on Jan. 31, Islamic extremist Al-Shabab rebels killed at least four Christians, beheading one of them, area sources said.
In the Kaisari area of Maporomoko village, near Pandanguo about 25 miles inland from the Indian Ocean town of Lamu, Al-Shabab rebels attacked from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., said a wounded survivor at Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital.
The survivor, a Christian from the Maporomoko-Bondeni area who was shot in his right hand, said there were five or six heavily armed assailants who spoke Somali and were dressed in military uniform. They shot two Christians to death, hacked and beheaded another and killed at least one other by setting his house on fire, he said.
The beheaded man was identified only as Mwaura, a Christian.
“This is the third time the area has been attacked and we have lost several Christians,” the survivor said.
The rebels, who are fighting government and regional forces in Somalia, regard the northern coastal area of Kenya as Islamic territory. Al-Shabab, linked with Al-Qaida, took responsibility for the attack in a call to news organization Al Jazeera.
(MS)
Share with others: