Genocide Watch exists to predict, prevent, stop, and punish genocide and other forms of mass murder. Our purpose is to build an international movement to prevent and stop genocide.
Staff Login
Dozens Killed as Militants Attack Kenyan Town
Dozens Killed as Militants Attack Kenyan Town
By Isma’il Kushkush and Dan Bilefsky, The New York Times
16 June 2014
NAIROBI, Kenya — At least 48 people were killed after dozens of militants attacked a Kenyan coastal town overnight, targeting a police station and two hotels, officials said Monday.
The attacks began Sunday evening as residents of Mpeketoni, a town near the tourist resort of Lamu Island, were watching World Cup soccer matches on television, The Associated Press reported. The A.P. said that residents had been watching a match at the Breeze View Hotel when the attackers took aside some of the men and gunned them down in front of the women.
The government blamed a Somali extremist group, the Shabab. The authorities said that gunmen had emerged from two minibuses before starting the assault, in which at least one police officer was killed. Some panicked residents ran for cover in nearby bushes as the shooting began, the police said.
The assault is the latest in a series of deadly attacks in the country in recent months. In September, four gunmen from the group targeted an upscale mall in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, killing at least 67 people. In May, twin explosions hit a market area in central Nairobi, killing 10 people and injuring 76 others.
In response, the Kenyan authorities have sought to beef up security, interrogating thousands of immigrants, refugees and members of Kenya’s large Somali community. But the violence has continued, and the government has been criticized by rights groups for the tactics it has used.
Earlier this month, the United States Embassy in Nairobi warned American citizens to exercise caution when attending public events that may attract large crowds during the World Cup. It warned that places that could be targeted by terrorists include hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and public transportation. Britain, Canada and Australia have also recently issued warnings and called for added vigilance in the face of potential terrorist attacks.
Kenya’s tourism industry has been hit in recent months as visitors have stayed away amid concerns about the security situation.
Copyright 2014 The New York Times Company
Featured Image: The remains of shops that were attacked by militants in Mpeketoni, Kenya, a town near the tourist resort of Lamu Island. (Associated Press)
by 
by 
