Female tourist killed in Kenyan city of Mombasa

A female tourist was killed in the Kenyan port city of Mombasa today in the same area where a Russian visitor was murdered earlier in July by a criminal gang, a police official said.

The attack did not immediately appear to be linked to a spate of bombings and shootings by militants and gunmen who have killed dozens of Kenyans on the coast in the past few months.

"A female tourist was shot in Kibokoni area," Robert Sicharani, head of Tourist Police Unit in Kenya's Coast region, told Reuters. "She was confirmed dead at the hospital."

He said the case was being investigated and more details would be given later. A Russian woman was killed by a gang which robbed her companions earlier in July in the same area, which lies near Mombasa’s historic Fort Jesus.

Several Western nations have warned against travel to Mombasa and other areas of Kenya, citing the risk of terrorist attacks. They also warn of violent crime, particularly in urban areas of the east African country.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland has advised against all non-essential travel to Lamu County and Archipelago, saying "all Irish citizens should exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant at all times in public places throughout Kenya".