Kenya church attacks 'kill 10' in Garissa

BBC

At least 10 people have been killed and 40 wounded in attacks on churches in the Kenyan town of Garissa near Somalia, police say.

Regional deputy police chief Philip Ndolo said balaclava-clad "goons" attacked the town's Catholic church and the African Inland Church (AIC).

Kenya has suffered a spate of attacks since sending troops into southern Somalia in October to crush Shebab bases (AFP/File, Tony Karumba)

A combination of grenades and gunfire was used, police said.

Kenya's border region has been tense since it sent troops into Somalia to pursue al-Shabab Islamic militants.

Kenya said the operations, launched last October, were designed to bring an end to kidnappings on Kenyan soil and other violence which it blamed on al-Shabab.

But since then, al-Shabab has claimed responsibility for a string of grenade and bomb blasts across Kenya, many deadly.

No group has yet said it carried out these latest attacks, but the finger of blame will undoubtedly be pointed at al-Shabab or sympathisers, says the BBC's Kevin Mwachiro, in Nairobi.

'Terrible scene'

Sunday's attacks took place during morning sermons at the churches in the garrison town.

Police say 10 people died, but the Kenyan Red Cross later said the death toll had risen to 16. It said 10 of the 40 wounded were in serious condition.

The first and most serious attack took place at the AIC, police told our correspondent.

Gunmen shot two policemen outside one of the churches, and grenades were then thrown inside. As the panicked congregation rushed to escape, gunmen fired on them, police said. At least 10 people died.

In the second - apparently co-ordinated - attack at a Catholic church, two grenades were thrown inside the church. One failed to go off, but police say three people were injured by the other one.

Witnesses told AFP news agency that bodies lay scattered in the blood-spattered churches as scores of wounded were rushed to hospital.

"It is a terrible scene, you can see bodies lying in the churches," regional police chief Leo Nyongesa told the agency.

Mr Ndolo said no arrests had been made.

"We condemn this act in the strongest terms possible," he said.

Garissa is the capital of North Eastern province, about 140km (90 miles) from the Somali border.

It is close to the Dadaab refugee camp, where gunmen kidnapped four aid workers and killed a driver on Friday in an attack Mr Ndolo said he suspected al-Shabab sympathisers of carrying out.

These two incidents have not painted a good picture of the efficacy of Kenyan security forces, our correspondent says.

Troops are supposed to have secured the Kenya-Somali border and frontier towns, but this does not seem to be happening, he adds.