Al-Shabaab beheads 5 people in southeast Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya

Al-Shabaab terrorists executed five civilians on Sunday in southeastern Kenya.

The attack took place in Salama and Juhudi villages in Lamu County, which shares a porous border with Somalia.

Lamu County Commissioner Louis Rono confirmed the deaths, saying police were still determining the extent of the carnage.

The attack by the Somalia-based al-Qaeda affiliated group has left the local community reeling with grief.

According to witnesses, the victims were beheaded after being tied to trees with ropes

Authorities said a secondary school student was among those killed and their homes were set on fire.

Al-Shabaab militants have carried out numerous attacks in the East African country after entering through the porous Kenya-Somalia border.

To date, their attack on Garissa University College in 2015 stands as one of their most notorious acts, claiming the lives of over 130 students.

In response to Kenya's deployment of troops to Somalia following a wave of kidnappings in 2011, al-Shabaab launched a series of attacks against Kenya and has since continued to threaten further violence if the troops are not withdrawn.