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| Kenyan coastal region of Lamu hit by deadly attacks | Kenyan coastal region of Lamu hit by deadly attacks |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| At least 29 people have been killed in two deadly shooting attacks in Kenya's coastal districts, the interior ministry has said. | At least 29 people have been killed in two deadly shooting attacks in Kenya's coastal districts, the interior ministry has said. |
| Witnesses said heavily armed men raided a trading centre in the village of Hindi, in Lamu county, and a police station in Gamba, Tana River county, overnight on Saturday. | Witnesses said heavily armed men raided a trading centre in the village of Hindi, in Lamu county, and a police station in Gamba, Tana River county, overnight on Saturday. |
| The Somali militant Islamist group al-Shabab said it was behind the killings. | The Somali militant Islamist group al-Shabab said it was behind the killings. |
| It has made past claims it conducted various other attacks in the region. | |
| Deputy Prime Minister William Ruto, who is currently visiting the region, is on his way to Gamba. | |
| Analysis: Mary Harper, BBC News | |
| Al-Shabab is increasingly becoming a regional force. Outside Somalia, Kenya is its main target. | |
| The nature of its attacks there is changing, with a growing use of armed units rather than grenades, improvised explosive devices and single targeted assassinations. | |
| It would be wrong to think of al-Shabab as a purely Somali movement. Young, disaffected Muslim men, many from the Kenyan coast, provide a fertile recruiting ground. | |
| Al-Shabab has a sophisticated propaganda machine, with radio broadcasts in the local Kiswahili language, and Kiswahili websites with instructions on how to make bombs. | |
| Kenya's wrestle with insecurity | |
| Witnesses said about a dozen armed men had appeared in Hindi late on Saturday evening and opened fire. | Witnesses said about a dozen armed men had appeared in Hindi late on Saturday evening and opened fire. |
| "They went around shooting at people and villages indiscriminately," area chief Abdallah Shahasi told Reuters. | "They went around shooting at people and villages indiscriminately," area chief Abdallah Shahasi told Reuters. |
| County commissioner Miiri Njenga told the agency some government offices and properties had been burned down. | County commissioner Miiri Njenga told the agency some government offices and properties had been burned down. |
| All those killed were adult men apart from one teenage boy shot as he tried to flee, the AFP news agency said. | All those killed were adult men apart from one teenage boy shot as he tried to flee, the AFP news agency said. |
| One woman in the town said the attackers had burned down her home but said they did not want to kill women. | One woman in the town said the attackers had burned down her home but said they did not want to kill women. |
| "They said they were attacking because Muslims' lands were being taken," she told AFP. | "They said they were attacking because Muslims' lands were being taken," she told AFP. |
| Suspect freed | Suspect freed |
| The Red Cross said another nine people - eight civilians and one police officer - were killed in Gamba, and one person was also missing. The ministry said 20 had died there. | The Red Cross said another nine people - eight civilians and one police officer - were killed in Gamba, and one person was also missing. The ministry said 20 had died there. |
| Gunmen broke into the town's police station, reportedly freeing at least one suspect who had been detained over a deadly al-Shabab-claimed attack two weeks ago. | |
| One police source told Reuters it was not yet clear how many detainees had been released. | One police source told Reuters it was not yet clear how many detainees had been released. |
| Attacks in the Lamu area early last month killed at least 60 people, as gunmen descended on hotels and a police station near Mpeketoni, and attacked locals as they were watching a World Cup match. | Attacks in the Lamu area early last month killed at least 60 people, as gunmen descended on hotels and a police station near Mpeketoni, and attacked locals as they were watching a World Cup match. |
| Timeline of Somali raids in Kenya | Timeline of Somali raids in Kenya |
| Al-Shabab has said it carried out the attacks in retaliation for Kenya's military actions against its operations in Somalia. | Al-Shabab has said it carried out the attacks in retaliation for Kenya's military actions against its operations in Somalia. |
| But Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has blamed the Mpeketoni attacks on political networks. Opposition parties have dismissed the president's claims. | But Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has blamed the Mpeketoni attacks on political networks. Opposition parties have dismissed the president's claims. |
| Are you in the area? You can share your story by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using "Kenya attacks" as the subject. | Are you in the area? You can share your story by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk using "Kenya attacks" as the subject. |