Kenyan official: Security forces to flush out gunmen from hijacked campus

Kenya's security forces are currently fighting the gunmen, who stormed a university near the country's border with Somalia and held students hostage after killing two guards early Thursday.

The police and Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) are in the process of flushing out the gunmen from the campus, said Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinett.

"I urge Kenyans to remain calm as our officers work to make sure that the attackers are ejected from the hostel and normalcy returns within the shortest time possible," Boinett said in a statement released in Nairobi.

"I appeal to any individual with any information regarding the attack to give it to the police or any security agency," he added, after about five masked and armed gunmen stormed Moi University campus in Garissa and opened fire indiscriminately.

At least two people have been confirmed dead while five have been hospitalized after the gunmen attacked the university.

Official sources said that by 08:30 a.m. local time (0530 GMT) the KDF troops had already taken over most places occupied by the gunmen.

Officials said they had pushed the gunmen into one of the dormitories in the campus.

The attackers forced their way into the university by shooting at the guards manning the main gate at around 05:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT), and security officers summoned reinforcement immediately, said Boinett.

A joint force composed of the police and other security agencies arrived at the scene soon, and are currently engaged in an elaborate operation to flush out the gunmen out of the university, he said.

Kenya Red Cross official Dabaso Jillo said that so far 30 people have been rushed to the hospital and more deaths could be reported later.

"As we speak now, gunshots could still be heard from the university. There are deaths which we could not confirm now," Jillo said, adding that the Red Cross has called for more blood donation. Endi