Extremists of the al-Shabaab jihadist organization from Somalia executed nine civilians early this morning in an attack on a village in Kenya, officials said.
The civilians were executed by beheading, a method rarely used by al-Shabaab extremists in Kenya, where they have carried out dozens of deadly attacks in previous years.
The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab group has vowed retaliation against Kenya for sending troops to Somalia in 2011. Kenya has sent troops to fight al-Shabaab, which last year became Africa's deadliest Islamist group.
A police report said about 15 al-Shabaab extremists attacked the village of Jima in southeastern Kenya, captured the men and killed them with knives.
The increased number of attacks is a major problem for Kenya's security agencies ahead of the Aug. 8 presidential election, said security analyst and former US Marine Andrew Franklin.
Kenya is among five countries whose soldiers are part of the African Union force helping Somalia's weak government fight the al-Shabaab insurgency. Of all the five countries, Kenya is the most under attack by Al-Shabaab extremists.
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