Witnesses in Mpeketoni said gun battles went on for several hours and reported seeing buildings set on fire. 

 

The town is close to Lamu island, which is a well-known tourist resort. 

 

Kenya has suffered a number of militant¹ attacks since 2011 when its forces entered neighbouring Somalia to combat al-Shabab fighters.

 

The BBC's Yusuf Dayo in Nairobi said the attack started at 20:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Sunday as locals were watching a football World Cup match on television. 

 

Local residents told the BBC that the attackers had hijacked⁴ a van and used it to attack various locations across the town. 

 

Witnesses said gunmen, who had their faces covered, threw explosives into the local police station before entering and stealing weapons.

 

Kenya has been on high alert recently following warnings that al-Shabab was planning more attacks. 

 

The US and UK have issued advisories⁵ to their nationals to keep away from the Kenyan coast. 

 

Sunday's attack comes days after the UK government closed its consulate⁶ in the nearby port city of Mombasa, citing heightened security threats.

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