Nairobi, Jan 2 (IANS): The Kenya Defence Force (KDF) said Friday that three Al Shabaab militants were killed during an ambush in the coastal town of Lamu.

KDF spokesman Colonel David Obonyo told Xinhua that three soldiers were injured when the militants ambushed their vehicle at Kiunga in Lamu near the border with Somalia late Thursday, but added that the militants were later pursued and three of them were killed.

"Our officers came under attack by the insurgents, who emerged from the Boni forest along Lamu-Malindi, as they were returning to their camp. The attackers were, however, repulsed and three of them were killed," Obonyo said by telephone.

He said several assailants, believed to be of the Al Shabaab, escaped with bullet wounds, adding that investigations have been launched to establish the motive of the attackers.

Lamu county police commander Ephantus Kiura said the attack took place when the soldiers were returning to their base after fetching water from a village.

He said combined teams of the KDF and police have launched a major manhunt for the more than 10 militants, who carried out the attack.

The police commander said more officers have been deployed to comb the vast Boni forest used by the Al Shabaab to sneak into the country and carry out attacks.

On May 26 last year, suspected Al Shabaab militants killed two Kenyan soldiers and injured another within the same area. Several militants were also killed by the soldiers who later blew up the pick-up van used by the militants.

According to military and police sources, the Al Shabaab hiding in the vast Boni Forest could be planning more attacks in Lamu county.

Police have declared Boni forest a prohibited area and subsequently extended the curfew to allow security forces more time to flush the militants out.