The governor of the Kenya-Somalia border county of Mandera says six people have died in an attack by suspected Islamic extremists.
Governor Ali Roba says militants attacked a residential plot around the area of Bulla public works early on Thursday local time.
Roba says the militants were targeting 33 non-Muslims living in a residential block. He says a timely response by security forces ensured that lives were saved.
Kenya has experienced a wave of attacks from Somali-based extremists and al-Qaeda’s affiliate in the region, al Shabab.
Al Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the attack.
“We are behind the Mandera attack in which we killed six Christians,” Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, al Shabaab’s military operations spokesman, told Reuters, adding they had also hit a police vehicle using a roadside bomb.
(AP)
