Somali Islamist militants have murdered two Christian teachers in Kenya, according to International Christian Concern (ICC).
Three others were seriously injured in the bombing attack on the teachers' house on Wednesday.
The teachers, Johnstone Okumu and Simon Wekesa, taught at Arabia High School in Mandera East, which is situated along the porous Kenya-Somalia border, a terrorist hotbed. They were from out of the area, which ICC said made them more likely to be targeted by Muslim radicals because they were from a predominantly Christian group.
The senior police commander of Mandera told ICC the attackers were being pursued in collaboration with Somali forces.
The attack took place barely eight months after three teachers of Qarsa Primary School were killed in a similar way on February 16, 2018. In 2014, 28 teachers were massacred after al-Shabaab militants attacked a Nairobi-bound bus in Mandera, singling out Christian passengers.
Teachers in the region have expressed their concern about the spate of attacks.
Martin Kamutu, a teacher in Mandera, told ICC: 'It is painful to lose our colleagues through such a heinous act of cowardice. Our hearts bleed because even after dedicating our time and professionalism in serving this community, they still hate Christians.'
Nathan Johnson, ICC's regional manager, said: 'It is sad that those serving and teaching in northeastern Kenya are often targeted and attacked for their faith. The border with Somalia must be secured and the terrorist group al-Shabaab must be stopped. We hope to see these killings end and for teachers to be able to practise whatever faith they choose in safety.'
