Cattle rustlers’ overnight raid kills 13 in northwestern Kenya

May 01, 2007 (LODWAR, Kenya) — More than 100 cattle raiders stormed a village in remote northwestern Kenya, killing 13 people _ including six children _ while they slept before stealing more than 2,000 animals, police said Tuesday.

The attack happened Monday night about 180 kilometers (110 miles) south of Lodwar, the largest town in the region.

“The herders were caught by surprise as they were in deep sleep and were unable to respond and defend themselves,” said Joshua Enguman, a local civic leader.

Among the victims were six children below the age of 10, said Rift Valley Provincial Police Chief Everest Wasige.

Cattle rustling by nomadic tribes in the semiarid region that encompasses northern Kenya, Uganda, southern Sudan and Ethiopia is common, but the raids have become increasingly lethal as tribal warriors have acquired modern weapons. Arms have flooded the region following conflicts in Uganda, Sudan and Somalia.

Police were searching for the attackers and trying to recover the stolen animals, Wasige said.

(AP)