Tuesday, March 15 2005 19:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Nairobi: At least 30 people were killed in northeastern Kenya today (March 15, 2005) when heavily armed militiamen raided a village near the Kenyan-Somali border in what is believed to be the deadliest single attack in the region, police said.

At least 22 villagers and eight militiamen died in a pre-dawn 5:00 am (0730 hrs IST) raid near the village of Elgolisha near the border town of Mandera, police spokesman Jaspher Ombati told sources in Nairobi.

Ombati said the eight militiamen were killed as police pursued them but could offer no details on who the militia were or where they were from.

Although he could not discuss specifics, previous similar attacks in the area have been carried out by Somali gunmen.