Al-Shabab fighters have killed at least 15 people in a second night of attacks on Kenya's coast, barely 24 hours after an attack near the coastal town Mpeketoni left at least 48 people dead, according to Kenya's interior minister.

However, a spokesman of the Somalia-based armed group claimed on Monday to have killed 20 people, mostly security officers, in the overnight attack on Poromoko, a village located between the city of Mombasa and the Kenyan border.

Al-Shabaab also said it would continue its campaign in East Africa's largest economy, saying they want to punish the government for sending troops to Somalia to confront their fighters.

Sunday's assault - the first of the two attacks in Kenya's tourist hub in Lamu county was the biggest since the deadly Westgate Mall raid last September in the capital Nairobi.

"The Mpeketoni raid was carried out in response to Kenyan military's continued invasion and occupation of our Muslim lands and the massacre of innocent Muslims in Somalia," al-Shabab said.

Joseph Ole Lenku, the interior minister, promised on Monday to pursue the attackers.

"These attacks are unfortunate and the perpetrators must be held accountable," he said in Mpeketoni where he was jeered by locals.

"We condemn yesterday's killings and the latest attack today where about 15 other people were killed and houses burnt."



Al-Shaba