Militants Kill Kenyan Men, Order Women to Watch

Dozens of extremists wielding automatic weapons attacked a small Kenyan coastal town for hours, assaulting the police station, setting two hotels on fire, and spraying bullets into the street. At least 48 people were killed, officials said. The assault in Mpeketoni began around 8pm local time last night, as residents were watching World Cup matches on TV, and lasted until early today, meeting little resistance from Kenya's security forces.

At the Breeze View Hotel, the gunmen pulled the men aside and ordered the women to watch as they killed them, saying it was what Kenyan troops are doing to Somali men inside Somalia, a police commander said. Authorities blamed al-Shabab, Somalia's al-Qaeda-linked terror group, which has vowed to carry out terror attacks to avenge the Kenyan military presence in Somali. Along with its Somali fighters, the group also has many Kenyan adherents. (More al-Shabab stories.)