Extremists from neighboring Somalia beheaded nine civilians in an early morning attack on a southeastern village in Kenya, government officials said on Saturday, as concerns grew that the group known as the Shabab has taken up a bloody new strategy.
The attack occurred in Jima, a village in Lamu County, said James Ole Serian, who leads a task force of security agencies combating the terror group.
Beheadings by the Shabab have been rare in Kenya, though the group has carried out dozens of other deadly attacks there over the years. In recent weeks, the country has seen an increase in attacks claimed by the group, raising security concerns about next month’s presidential election.
The Shabab, which has links to Al Qaeda, has vowed retribution against on Kenya for sending troops into Somalia to fight it in 2011.
The attack Saturday occurred in the Pandaguo area, where just three days ago Shabab fighters engaged security agencies in a daylong battle. On Saturday, a police report says, about 15 Shabab fighters attacked Jima and seized men, killing them with knives.
Beheadings by the Shabab are not uncommon in Somalia, where the extremists use them against people whom they believe to be enemies. The tactic also is used to terrorize local populations.
In recent months the group also has increased attacks in Kenya with homemade bombs, killing at least 46 in Lamu and Mandera counties.
The increase in attacks presents a big problem for Kenya’s security agencies ahead of the Aug. 8 presidential election, said Andrew Franklin, a security analyst and former United States Marine. On Election Day, the country’s security forces will be stretched thin attempting to prevent any possible violence, a situation the Shabab might take advantage of, he said.
There was no immediate government comment on Saturday on the latest attack. President Uhuru Kenyatta has not made any statement on the recent surge in al-Shabab attacks.
Kenya is among the countries that contributes troops to an African Union force that is bolstering Somalia’s fragile government against the Shabab insurgency. Of the countries that contribute troops, Kenya has borne the brunt of retaliatory attacks by the group.
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