Nairobi – Three people died on Thursday in Kenya following a suspected terrorist attack on a passenger bus in the East African country’s coastal region, an official said.
The attack took place around noon (0900 GMT) in the north-eastern county of Lamu, in an area called Nyongoro, County Commissioner, Irungu Macharia, said.
The bus was headed north from the coastal town of Malindi to the community of Mokowe in Lamu.
The Kenyan coast is popular with tourists, although many travellers fly into top destinations such as Malindi and the Island of Lamu, rather than access them by road.
“Some suspected bandits shot at the bus, but the driver managed to drive off,’’ Macharia said.
“It is suspected to be a terrorist attack, but we cannot confirm because we don’t know – it could be anybody, bandits or any other criminal element.’’
Three people sustained injuries in the attack on the bus, which belonged to the Mombasa Raha company.
It was unclear how many passengers were on the bus, according to Macharia.
The attack occurred in a forested area where the road is partially tarmacked, he said.
Some panicked passengers jumped out of the bus and tried to run away from the scene.
“That is how a majority of them met their death,’’ he said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Gunmen have targeted bus passengers in Kenya in the past and the attacks are often linked to terrorist groups.
Militants with al-Shabaab, a Somalia-based terrorist group with ties to al-Qaeda, regularly carry out attacks in neighbouring Kenya.
(dpa/NAN)