As many as 26 people have been killed after suspected Islamist militants attacked hotels and a police station in a Kenyan coastal town.
Witnesses in Mpeketoni said gun battles went on for several hours and reported seeing buildings set on fire.
The town is close to Lamu island, a well-known tourist resort with ancient architecture that is listed as a Unesco World Heritage site.
The attack started at 8.30pm local time last night as locals were watching a football World Cup match on television.
Local residents told the BBC that the attackers had hijacked a van and used it to attack various locations across the town.
Witnesses said gunmen, who had their faces covered, threw explosives into the local police station before entering and stealing several weapons.
Local police chief Hamaton Mwaliko told Reuters that the gunmen set several hotels on fire after raiding the police station.
Kenyan army spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir said surveillance aircraft had been dispatched to the region to help with the security operation.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in an updated travel advisory to Kenya, said: “There is a high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping.
“The main threat comes from extremists linked to Al Shabaab, a militant group that has carried out attacks in Kenya in response to Kenya’s military intervention in Somalia.
“On 15 June, gunmen attacked Mpeketoni Town on the Kenyan coast close to Lamu Island. At least 48 people were killed.”