Al-Shabaab attack kills at least three Kenyans in border town

Al-Shabab was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, but still control swathes of territory from where they launch frequent deadly strikes against government and civilian targets [Al Jazeera]

NAIROBI, Kenya - Al-Shabab militants killed three Kenyans over the weekend in two separate terror attacks in northeastern Kenya's Mandera County, authorities confirmed on Monday.

Rono Bunei, northeastern regional police commander, confirmed the two incidents near the Somalia border, saying three others were injured during the attacks.

In the first attack, the militants ambushed three people who were traveling in a vehicle from Fino to Mandera Town at Kamor Bahaw area on Saturday, firing several bullets at their car.

The attack, according to police and locals, left a sick woman who was being taken to the hospital dead, while two others sustained injuries.

Hours later, the militants opened fire on another vehicle at the outskirts of Fino, killing a man and his son on the spot.

This is the latest such attack after a lull over the past few days. The attacks had in June grounded operations in the county as most roads were rendered impassable.

Kenya's northeastern region has borne the brunt of grenade and gun attacks in the last several years since Kenya took its troops to Somalia in 2011 to fight the al-Shabab.

But Kenya says the deployment of its troops in the southern regions of Somalia has so far helped to prevent the movement of explosives, counterfeit electronics, and contraband sugar smuggling across the border.