Five people missing after Lamu al Shabaab attacks

Five people have been reported missing following two separate attacks by suspected al Shabaab militants in Lamu on Tuesday.

In the first attack executed along the Lamu–Witu-Garsen highway at dawn, three people were reportedly taken hostage by the militants.

According to Lamu County Commissioner Louis Rono, the three were travelling in a vehicle that veered off the road and rolled in the bush. “Suspected al Shabaab militants had waylaid vehicles plying the route, unfortunately, as one of the drivers sped off from the militants, his car veered off the road and rolled during which three occupants are believed to have gone missing, two others managed to escape to safety and were later rescued by security officers who responded,” he said.

Rono further added that a vehicle that was first sprayed with bullets by the militants had six occupants. However, no one was injured. He said security apparatus in the area were on high alert following the attack. “Security has been intensified. We are trailing the militants who are believed to have retreated back to Boni forest,” he stated.