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Kenya deaths as 'MRC' attacks Malindi casino

At least seven people have been killed in a Kenyan coastal town during a raid on a casino by a machete-wielding gang, police say.

Police intervened, shooting dead six of the attackers, officials said. At least one officer also died.

The 50-strong gang struck in Malindi, some 120km (75 miles) north of Mombasa, early on Thursday, police said.

A spokesman linked the attackers to the Mombasa Republic Council (MRC), an outlawed separatist group.

"A gang of 50 MRC suspects armed with machetes and other crude weapons raided a casino in Malindi and started attacking patrons before police were called," Ambrose Munyasia told Reuters news agency.

The attack was thought to have happened at about 02:00 local time (2300 GMT, Wednesday).

There was no immediate confirmation about whether any casino guests were hurt.

The MRC says it is campaigning on behalf of the "oppressed" people of Kenya's coastal region, many of whom are Muslims who say they face discrimination.

"The objective of our movement is to lift the coastal people from the neo-colonialism of the government of Kenya," Randu Ruwa, the MRC's secretary general, told the BBC before the elections earlier this month.

The group was blamed for a series of attacks before the election, in which some 12 people were killed.

Last week a spokesman for the group was arrested on suspicion of links to the attacks.

There was no statement from the MRC after Thursday's attack.

Mombasa is a popular hub for tourism in Kenya, with its Indian Ocean coastline drawing visitors from around the world to a string of luxury resorts.

Burma's President Thein Sein warns 'extremists'

The Burmese government will use force if necessary to stop "political opportunists and religious extremists" from fomenting hatred between faiths, President Thein Sein has warned.

It was his first public comment on the violence, which began last week.

At least 40 people have been killed as a result of discord between Buddhists and Muslims since 20 March.

Curfews have been imposed in a number of areas, as crowds of Buddhists attacked Muslim buildings.

The police were reported on Wednesday to have opened fire in one town on a crowd of about 500 people.

Last Friday a state of emergency was enforced in the central town of Meiktila in Mandalay region - where the communal violence began after a reported argument at a gold shop.

'Last resort'

"I would like to warn all political opportunists and religious extremists who try to exploit the noble teachings of these religions and have tried to plant hatred among people of different faiths for their own self-interest. Their efforts will not be tolerated," the president said in a national televised address.

"In general, I do not endorse the use of force to solve problems. However, I will not hesitate to use force as a last resort to protect the lives and safeguard the property of the general public," he said.

"All perpetrators of violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

The president said that "conflicts and difficulties" would inevitably arise during Burma's transition to a democracy.

He called on police to "perform their duties decisively, bravely and within the constraints of the constitution and by-laws".

Correspondents say that police in Meiktila have been criticised for failing to act quickly enough to stop the rioting, in which houses, shops and mosques were burned down.

At least 12,000 Muslims are thought to have fled their homes because of the unrest.

In similar violence in Rakhine state last year, nearly 200 people were killed and tens of thousands forced from their homes.

The conflict that erupted in Rakhine involved Buddhists and Rohingya Muslims, who are not recognised as Burmese citizens and have complained of frequent persecution.

Those affected by the latest violence insist that in contrast to the allegations made against the Rohingyas they are legitimate Burmese citizens.

Correspondents say that isolated violence involving Burma's majority Buddhist population and its minority Muslim community has occurred for decades, even under military governments that ruled the country from 1962 to 2011.