20+ Dead in al-Shabaab Attacks in Kenya

Over 20 people are dead after a new spate of al-Shabaab attacks over the weekend. On Saturday, the Somali Islamist militant group killed at least nine people at the Hindi trading centre in Lamu county, near where 65 people were killed last month. Another 20 were reportedly killed in Gamba after al-Shabaab said it attacked a police station to free people held in detention cells. "They killed some of our colleagues and freed Muslim detainees. Some of those freed were linked to the Mpeketoni attacks two weeks ago," a police source confirmed. Al-Shabaab fighters also destroyed several homes. Resident Elizabeth Opindo said al-Shabaab burned down her home, but let her live, saying that “they were attacking because Muslims' lands were being taken.” Al-Shabaab has been wreaking havoc on Kenya, especially at popular tourist destinations. It was revealed this past week that the U.S. has secretly maintained a military presence in Somalia to help combat al-Shabaab. The group is infamous for its brutal attack last year on the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi that left nearly 70 people dead.