From The Irish Times

At least 48 people were killed when dozens of Somali extremists wielding automatic weapons attacked a small Kenyan coastal town for hours.

The attackers stormed the police station, set two hotels on fire, and sprayed bullets into the street, officials said today.

The assault began at around 8pm local time last night as residents were watching World Cup matches on TV. The attack met little resistance from the country’s security apparatus, and lasted until early this morning.

Authorities blamed al-Shabab, Somalia’s al-Qaeda-linked terror group.

Kenya’s top police commander, David Kimaiyo, said the death toll was 48.

Another police commander said that, as residents were watching the World Cup at the Breeze View Hotel, the gunmen pulled the men aside and ordered the women to watch as they killed them. The attackers told the women that that is what Kenyan troops are doing to Somali men inside Somalia.

A police spokeswoman said authorities believe that several dozen attackers took part. The assault occurred in the town of Mpeketoni, which is about 30 km (20miles) south-west of the tourist centre of Lamu. Any tourism in Mpeketoni is mostly local, with few foreigners visiting the region. The town is about 100km from the Somali border. Mpeketoni is about 600km from the capital, Nairobi.

Kenya has experienced a wave of gun and explosives attacks in recent months. The US, UK, France, Australia and Canada have all recently upgraded their terror threat warnings for the country. US Marines behind sandbag bunkers are now stationed on the roof of the US Embassy in Nairobi.

Read more at The Irish Times