Militant Kills Four Officers At Kenya Police Station
MEP: A suspected gunman for the Somalian militant group al Shabaab has shot to death at least four Kenyan officers at a police station in western Kenya on Thursday, police said.
Police commandos surrounded the Kapenguria police station in an attempt to bring the stand-off to an end, police Inspector General Joseph Boinnet said in a statement on Thursday.
The gunman was being kept in custody for interrogation at the police station and launched the attack after snatching a weapon from a guard by force.
“His attempts to escape were thwarted by quick arrival by other officers,” Boinnet said.
The man was suspected of links to terrorism, Boinnet added, without being more specific.
An officer, speaking anonymously, said “I can confirm that four police officers have been killed but they could be more,” he added “the suspect has locked himself inside one of the rooms and we are trying to get him out, we have surrounded the station.”
Kenyan media put the number of police fatalities at six, however.
Al-Shabab has launched a series of attacks against Kenya in recent years, including using local recruits. The group says the attacks are aimed at driving Kenyan forces out of Somalia, where they are part of an African force fighting al-Shabab.
