Four worshippers killed in 'terrorist' attack on Kenya

Four worshippers were shot dead Sunday by two gunmen who stormed a packed church near the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa on Sunday.



Police said the assailants opened fire indiscriminately on the congregants.

At least 17 people were injured in what authorities have called a terrorist attack.

One witness told Reuters news agency how gunmen shouted in a foreign language before shooting indiscriminately at the congregation.
The Red Cross said two worshippers were killed instantly, while two more later died of their injuries.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Many suspect the attack may have come from Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group, Al Shabaab, which operates in neighbouring Somalia.

The group has threatened attacks on Kenya in retaliation for Kenya’s military campaign against them in Somalia.
Kenyan troops, which have since joined the African Union force in Somalia, are taking part in a fresh offensive launched this month against Shebab bases.

The church attack on Sunday took place in Likoni, located across a deep-water channel from Mombasa city, a major tourist hub.
Likoni’s police chief Robert Mureithi said the high number of bullet cartridges recovered for the Joy in Christ Church indicated the gunmen were armed with automatic weapons, Reuters reported.

The attackers tried to raid a second church nearby but fled when armed police on patrol in the neighborhood appeared.