Gunmen attacked a university in eastern Kenya early Thursday, killing at least two and wounding dozens more as they fought with armed officers and forced their way into student dormitories, the police said.
The National Disaster Operation Center of Kenya said two people had been killed and 29 others had been admitted to a hospital, most with gunshot wounds. Four critically wounded people were airlifted to Nairobi, the capital, for treatment, the center said on Twitter.
The attack began around 5:30 a.m., with gunmen shooting at guards at a main gate at Garissa University College in eastern Kenya, about 100 miles from the border with Somalia, according to a written statement from the Kenyan National Police Service. Police officers guarding the campus responded swiftly and engaged the gunmen in a fierce shootout, however the attackers retreated and gained entry into the hostels,” the statement said.
Security services were trying to force the gunmen out of the dormitories, the police said Thursday morning.
The attackers were not immediately identified, but recent security warnings in Kenya have emphasized a risk of attack by the Shabab, the Islamist militant group based in Somalia.