Five chiefs kidnapped by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Mandera
Mandera South police commander Julius Njeru confirmed the attack and said the administrators were travelling from Wargadud to Elwak town for duty.
Five chiefs missing after being abducted by suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists in Elwak, Mandera
At least five chiefs were reported missing on Monday after they were ambushed and kidnapped by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Elwak, Mandera County.
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Mandera South police commander Julius Njeru confirmed the attack and said the administrators were travelling from Wargadud to Elwak town for duty.
The group was travelling in a car to Elwak when they were attacked and hijacked between Bamba Owla And Ires Suki.
The officials were scheduled to meet in Elwak to prepare for a planned visit by President William Ruto to the region this week.
The suspects are believed to have fled with the officials towards Somalia. A multi-agency operation has since been launched following the incident.
Though the country has experienced a lull in terror incidences in recent years, Mandera, Garissa and Lamu Counties have recorded some attacks accounting for 12, eight and five incidents respectively in the last quarter of 2024 according to data from the IGAD's Centre of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (ICEPCVE).
Amongst them is the shooting and killing of a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in December by suspected Al-Shabaab militia in an attack in Lafey, Mandera County who then fled with the government vehicle he was driving towards Somalia.
The incident happened six months after a similar one in August same year where a government driver was killed and the government vehicle he was driving stolen and driven off to Somalia by suspected militia.
Later on, a local was arrested in Somalia on suspicion of having teamed up with the militia to ambush, kill the government driver and hijack the government vehicle.
Mandera County, located at the border between Kenya and Somalia is under constant security operations in attempts to thwart off seepage of militia to the country.
A planned opening of the border has remained suspended courtesy of the lingering terror threats.
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