Two people killed in yet another gun attack in Mombasa

MOMBASA, KENYA: Two people were on Tuesday morning shot dead in a gun attack at a bar in Majengo area, Mombasa.

Two others were rushed to hospital with bullet wounds after the shooting that happened at 4 am after gunmen burst into Sega bar, police said. The motive of the attack is yet to be known.

Mombasa police boss Robert Kitur said investigations into the incident has been launched.

He said the attackers seemed to have been out to rob and decided to shoot after they got resistance.

“We are still investigating even though on the preliminary this seems to be a botched robbery,” said Kitur amid protests from the locals on increasing rate of insecurity.

The shooting comes a day after unknown gunmen killed four people and injured 11 others in Likoni area.

Police say they are yet to know the attackers and their motive. The three gunmen escaped on a motorbike soon after the 9 pm incident.

Leaflets were later dropped warning of more attacks. The leaflets claimed that the killings were in revenge for the killings that have rocked Lamu County in recent week.

The attackers dropped leaflets demanding minorities to leave the port city of Mombasa. 

The region faces multiple challenges, including an external Islamist threat, homegrown terrorism, religious, ethnic and tribal tensions, and bitter, long-running land disputes. 

The region has recently been the target of attacks in the recent past leaving over 100 people dead and several wounded.

Politicians in the area blame police for the situation saying they are unable to contain the crime. The hardest hit is Lamu County where gunmen have been having a field day in the past two months killing and maiming locals. Many remain internally displaced in the attacks that have prompted the government to impose a curfew between 6.30pm and 6.30 am until August 20.

Somalia’s Al-Shabaab militants are largely blamed for the attacks.