Security officials stated that two people were shot dead by al-Shabab militants and several houses were torched in a rural area in coastal Kenya.
The Christmas night attack happened in the Pandaguo area in Lamu county that neighbours Boni forest, where security agencies have been conducting an operation since 2015 to flush out militants in hiding.
The forest near the Kenya-Somalia border and the area around it have been attacked by al-Shabab militants in the past.
Police said the attackers invaded Taa village, some miles away from the popular tourist destination of Lamu town, and targeted homes in a coordinated manner.
Many villagers ran and hid in bushes as the gang descended on their homes, survivors said.
Coast regional commissioner John Elungata said assailants attacked the village at night but were repulsed by Kenya Police Reservists after a heavy gunfight.
“The situation is calm, we have officers patrolling the area and we would like to ask members of the public to tell us what they know to help us in our investigations as we continue hunting them,” he said.
Meanwhile, the attack comes barely a week after the suspected al-Shabab militants attacked a police vehicle in northern Kenya, killing two officers and a civilian.
