11 killed in Kenyan ethnic clashes

At least 11 people have been killed and several others wounded in fighting between rival clans in Wajir in Kenya's remote northeast, police said on Friday.

The fighting broke out on Thursday when the attackers raided a settlement of the local Degodia clan. Kenyan media reports said the attack was believed to have been carried out by a militia from the rival Garre clan.

"We are told the attackers raided the village and they started shooting randomly. They also torched several houses. I can confirm 11 people dead and seven wounded," police spokesperson Zipporah Mboroki told AFP.

"Some of the victims were thrown into a trench and burnt to death," she added.

Reports said the attack was as revenge for the deaths of three men killed by bandits believed to be from the rival Degodia clan, and local media put the death toll at as high as 18.

Officials said security has been tightened in the area, one of Kenya's poorest regions. The region is situated close to the border with war-torn Somalia and awash with guns.