NAIROBI, Kenya — Fighting between a semi-nomadic tribe of livestock herders and a farming community in southeastern Kenya escalated Monday, with 38 people killed, including nine police officers, the Red Cross says.

Kenya Red Cross Secretary General Abbas Gullet said Monday that eight children were also among those killed in the dawn attack in which over 300 people from the Pokomo tribe raided a village of Orma tribe herders. The raiders torched 167 houses.

Gullet says although the two tribes periodically fight over land and water resources the violence this year could be politically instigated. On Friday 11 members of the Pokomo tribe were killed by members of Orma community in revenge attack. The Pokomo had earlier killed 52 members of Orma tribe.