Al-Shabaab kills 5 police officers in Kenya

Somalia's al-Shabaab militantskilled five police officers in a border region in northeasternKenya on Monday, the latest deadly incursion aimed at punishingKenya for sending troops to Somalia.

Al-Shabaab said it was behind the attack. The group'smilitary operations spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab toldReuters four officers were also wounded and a vehicle in theirconvoy was burned in the ambush by its fighters.

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The group has previously said it would continue attacksuntil Kenya withdraws troops from an African Union forcefighting the militants in Somalia.

"We condemn the attack by al-Shabaab at Dimu this morning,five police officers killed," Mandera County Governor Ali Robasaid on his Twitter account.

Diplomats say Kenya's northeastern border with Somalia is asecurity weak spot, given the challenge of policing a longfrontier, poor coordination between security services and aculture of corruption that allows those prepared to pay a bribeto pass unchallenged.

Al-Shabaab has targeted the Mandera region in the past.