Armed men raid bus at dawn in Kenya, killing dozens

Armed militants ambushed a bus at dawn in north eastern Kenya and killed nearly half of the 60 people aboard, authorities said Saturday.

The gunmen killed 28 people in the bus, which was heading from Mandera, near the Somali boarder, to the capital of Nairobi.

This is one of the busiest travel seasons in the nation as throngs make their way to relatives' homes for the holidays. Buses and other public transportation are packed this time of the year.

"Security agencies are in pursuit of the criminal gang," the Interior Ministry said in a statement. "We'll give a comprehensive update once preliminary reports are out." Continue...

The Kenya Red Cross was helping retrieve bodies under the watch of security personnel.

No group has claimed responsibility for the ambush.

Al-Shabaab, the al Qaeda-linked group, has launched a series of attacks in Kenya since 2011, when the latter's forces went into neighboring Somalia to battle the militants.

Kenyan soldiers have raided militants' hideouts across Somalia, prompting retaliatory attacks from the terror group.

Last year, it raided a Nairobi mall in a brazen attack that killed 68 people and left shoppers under siege for days.

The militant group is based in Somalia, where it has killed international aid workers, journalists, civilian leaders and African Union peacekeepers.

In addition to Kenya and Somalia, it has struck Uganda. Al-Shabaab was responsible for suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda, four years ago that killed more than 70 people gathered to watch a World Cup soccer match.

As the attacks get more daring, the international community has rallied to battle the militants.

In September, a U.S. airstrike killed its leader, Ahmed Godane, who was later replaced. Al-Shabaab vowed to revenge his death.