Suspected al Shabaab militants kill five Kenya quarry workers, police report says

Another 13 people escape into the bush and are later rescued, the report said

Reuters

Five quarry workers were killed and two others injured when their vehicle was attacked by suspected al Shabaab militants in northeastern Kenya on Tuesday morning, according to a Kenyan police report seen by Reuters.

About 10 gunmen alleged to be from the Somali-based, al Qaeda-linked group ambushed a minibus full of workers at around 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) near Bur Abor village in Mandera County, and ordered them out of the vehicle, the report said.

"They were asked to give out their phones and ID cards. In the process (they) were fatally shot while lying down," the police report said, adding that the footprints of the fighters disappeared towards the Somali border.

Another 13 people escaped into the bush and were later rescued, the report said.

Kenya's police spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Al Shabaab has been waging an insurgency against the Somali government since 2007, seeking to seize power and establish rule based on its own strict interpretation of Islamic law.

The Islamist group often conducts cross-border raids into Kenya, a major troop contributor to the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia.