A Russian tourist was on Sunday shot and killed while on a visit to one of the historical sites in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa, police have confirmed.
“It is unfortunate the lady who was shot has succumbed to injuries,” Mombasa deputy divisional police chief Tom Okoth said, confirming the woman’s nationality as Russian.
According to police, the tourist was visiting Fort Jesus, a fort built by the Portuguese in the 16th century and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. She was in the company of two other people when three armed assailants opened fire on them. The gunmen made away with a bag containing cameras, phones and other personal belongings.
Okoth said police were searching for the attackers and that an investigation had been launched to nab the suspects.
Mombasa has experienced worsening insecurity in recent months with a series of shootings and bombings blamed on Somalia’s Shabaab militants, though the government has maintained that local political networks are responsible for the chaos.
The shooting occurred just within hours after at least 20 people were killed in overnight attacks about 300 kilometres up the coast in the Lamu region. The Somali based and Al-Quaeda linked Al Shabaab terror group claimed responsibility for the Lamu killings.
Last month Al Shabaab, which is reported to have carried out a number of attacks on Kenyan soil in response to Kenya’s continued military presence in Somalia, warned tourists to stay out of Kenya.
“Kenya is now officially a war zone and as such any tourists visiting the country do so at their own peril,” they declared in a statement less than three weeks ago.
Kenya also suffers from high levels of violent crime and robberies.
In May several countries updated travel advisories, with Britain, France, Australia and the United States advising their citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Mombasa.
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