Police officials in Kenya have confirmed that four people were killed and dozens left injured when unidentified gunmen stormed a church near the port city of Mombasa on Sunday.

Local reporters say the attack happened in the town of Likoni when the congregation was holding their usual Sunday church service. They say quite a number of people were injured in addition to the four deaths. Some of those injured were said to be in critical conditions.

Some Local reporters who visited the scene showed pictures of bullet holes on the wooden chairs the church members were sitting on amid blood soaked with Bibles all over the floor.

The Reuters African Service quoted an eyewitness as saying that the attackers were ordinary men and that they managed to escape on foot before the police arrived.

“They were ordinary looking guys, one of them tall, dark and wearing a long-sleeved shirt, they walked casually as if all was ok, then they started shooting at those of us who were standing outside”, the witness said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but officials have said they are not ruling out Somalia militants, Al shabab.

Security has been stepped up in Kenya in recent days following the arrest of two men last week who police said had bombs hidden in their car, planning to attack a an unknown location in the Mombasa township.

There have been several incidents of violence in Mombasa in recent months, involving the security forces and the militants who sometimes evade security check points to enter into the city to stage attacks.

Al Shabaab militants have launched several attacks on Kenya in what it described as Kenya violating its territorial integrity. Kenyan troops are in Somalia trying to help stabilize the country.

Last year, Al Shabab attacked the Westgate Shopping Mall in the capital, Nairobi in which they killed 68 people.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

Writer’s Email Address: Adamsisska@googlemail.com

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