潘基文谴责肯尼亚拉穆地区袭击事件

UN chief slams deadly terrorist attack in Kenya

联合国秘书长潘基文16日通过其发言人发表声明，强烈谴责肯尼亚拉穆地区发生的武装袭击事件。

声明说，潘基文向遇害者家属以及肯尼亚政府表示慰问，并祝愿伤者早日康复。潘基文重申联合国支持肯尼亚政府和人民打击恐怖主义的斗争。他表示相信肯尼亚当局将竭尽所能，以充分尊重人权义务的方式将肇事者绳之以法。

据肯尼亚红十字会16日消息，肯尼亚沿海拉穆地区姆佩卡托尼镇15日晚发生武装袭击事件，造成至少48人死亡。

肯尼亚警察总监戴维·基迈约16日说，武装分子携带爆炸物和枪支袭击了当地的酒店、银行、警察局和其他建筑。事发时，当地酒吧和咖啡馆聚集了观看世界杯的人群，死亡人数可能进一步上升。

拉穆地区位于肯尼亚东北部海滨，是肯尼亚著名旅游地，其北部距索马里边界不到100公里。

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Monday condemned "in the strongest terms" the Sunday attack in Kenya's eastern town of Mpeketoni that killed at least 48 people and wounded many more.

"The secretary-general reiterates the solidarity of the United Nations with the people and government of Kenya in their struggle against terrorism," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesman. "He trusts the authorities will do all in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice in a manner that is fully respectful of Kenya's human rights obligations."

"The secretary-general extends his condolences to the families of the deceased and the government of Kenya and wishes the wounded a swift recovery," the statement said.

Survivors said about 50 heavily armed attackers with explosives stormed the busy eastern coastal town in vehicles, spraying bullets on residents. Mpeketoni is now like a ghost town as many residents are still not back home after they took cover last night in bushes, they said.

The radical Islamist group of Al-Shabaab on Monday claimed responsibility for the latest attack.

Al-Qaida-linked Somali militants have vowed to attack Kenya after Kenyan soldiers crossed into Somalia in 2011 to flush out the insurgents Nairobi blamed for kidnappings of tourists.

The militants have committed similar attacks in Nairobi, Mombasa and towns bordering Somalia in what they said was a retaliation for the Kenyan military incursion in their country.