Five people where over the weekend killed and over five houses torched in a suspected Al-Shabaab attack in Salama and Juhudi villages in Mkunumbi Division, Lamu County.
Armed assailants raided the villages at around 7.30 pm on Saturday, dragged the victims from their houses, and tied their hands and legs with ropes behind their backs before slitting their throats.
The victims of the Saturday night attack were men, including a Form Three Student from Bakanja Secondary School identified as Barack Hussein, 19, who had come home for a half-term break before meeting his death.
Lamu County Commissioner, Louis Rono, confirmed the attack saying that he was aware of the attack at Salama but had no further details to reveal.
“I have heard something has happened at Salama overnight. I’m headed to the scene. I will give details once I reach there,” said Mr Rono.
Pamela Akoth Ogutu, the aunt and guardian to the form 3 student said a group of over 30 men, armed with guns, pangas, and knives, and who wore military regalia, descended to her homestead at around 8 pm and ordered them to lie down without screaming.
Ms Ogutu, her two nephews, a niece, and a woman neighbour were seated talking at her home when the men showed up.
Ms Ogutu said after the incident, they were commanded to go back to one of the houses before the men went to the other house used as a store and stole some food items, chicken and goats before setting it ablaze.
Salama and Juhudi villages are in the same area where six people were killed and over ten houses torched in January 2022.The six were killed by suspected Al-Shabaab militants before escaping into a nearby forest.
The Saturday attack also comes just a week after two Kenya Defense Forces Soldiers were killed and others injured when their vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) suspected to have been planted on their route by Al-Shabaab militants at Mlima Faru along the Witu-Pandanguo road.
The two were part of a team that was on a rescue mission to evacuate General Service Unit (GSU) officers who had been injured earlier after their vehicle ran over an IED.
