Three people beheaded by Al-Shabaab terrorists in Kenya

Islamic militants have beheaded three people and burnt houses in an attack in Lamu County located in the Northern Coast of Kenya on Friday.

Lamu County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo said gunmen believed to al-Shabaab militants attacked Maleli village near Witu town.

The locals were hacked to death by the suspects with Coast regional police boss Larry Kieng adding that the attackers torched three houses in the same village, Local media reported.

The attack took place around midnight. "They attacked and butchered locals. The victims were beheaded after being dragged from their houses," said Kieng.

Beheadings by al-Shabaab is rare in Kenya, where the extremist group has carried out dozens of deadly attacks over the years.

The group in July was accused of beheading nine people in another village in Lamu County and has stepped up attacks in East African country in recent weeks.

The al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab has vowed retribution after Kenya sent troops across the border to Somalia in 2011 to fight the group.