Two soldiers were killed in the firefight at dawn as the militants attacked an army camp in Lamu County, Col. David Obonyo said. Among the al-Shabab militants killed were two Caucasian men Obonyo said, and efforts are underway to establish their identities.
He said members of the militant group do not carry any identification documents. Al-Shabab recruits foreign fighters from neighboring countries and abroad, including American and British nationals.
Today's attack took place a day before the anniversary of an al-Shabab attack in Mpeketoni town in Lamu County that saw 48 non-Muslims killed in a bloodbath that went on for hours without any intervention from security forces.
Al-Shabab controlled most of Mogadishu, the Somali capital, from roughly 2007 to 2011. The group, which has links with al-Qaida, has seen its territory reduced after military pushes by African Union and Somali forces.