Police and a senior regional official in Kenya said an ambush near the country's border with Somalia killed eight people Tuesday, with authorities suspecting al Shabaab militants.
The victims were five construction workers, two police reservists and a driver. A local police station report placed the ambush in Mandera county, northeastern Kenya, where road construction was underway. The report put the attack at about 11 p.m. ET Monday (04:00 UTC Tuesday), or 7 a.m. Tuesday in Kenya.
Senior regional official John Odhiambo Otieno said the attackers may have crossed into Kenya from Somalia. He said authorities were investigating to identify them.
Reuters reported that al Shabaab controls extensive territory in Somalia and has repeatedly attacked Kenyan military personnel and civilians across the border. Analysts quoted by Reuters linked the attacks to an effort to make Kenya remove its troops from peacekeeping duties in Somalia.
