MOMBASA, Kenya (AFP) - A Russian tourist died on Sunday after being shot while touring a historical site in Kenya's port city of Mombasa on Sunday, the police said. "It is unfortunate the lady who was shot has succumbed to injuries," Mombasa's deputy divisional police chief Tom Okoth said, confirming the woman's nationality as Russian.

According to the police, the tourist was touring Fort Jesus - a 16th century Portuguese-built fort and a Unesco World Heritage Site - with two other people when three gunmen opened fire and grabbed a bag containing cameras, phones and other personal belongings.

"She has been rushed to hospital and an investigation and search for the attackers launched," Mr Okoth said earlier.

Mombasa has been the scene of worsening unrest in recent months with a string of shootings and bombings blamed on Somalia's Shebab rebels or local supporters.

The shooting occurred after at least 18 people were killed in overnight attacks more than 300km farther along the coast in the Lamu region. The Shebab claimed those killings.

Last month the Shebab, which has carried out a number of attacks on Kenyan soil in retaliation for Kenya's military intervention in Somalia, warned foreign tourists to stay out of Kenya.

"Kenya is now officially a war zone and as such any tourists visiting the country do so at their own peril," the group said in a statement less than three weeks ago.

Kenya also suffers from high levels of violent crime and robberies.

In May several countries stepped up their warnings to travellers, with Britain, France, Australia and the United States telling their citizens to avoid all but essential travel to Mombasa.