Suspected Somali militia free 20 kidnapped Kenyans in Mandera

MANDERA (Xinhua) — More than 20 people were released hours after being taken hostage by suspected Somali militiamen in Mandera town, northern Kenyan border.

Local government officials said militia men are believed to be from Somalia ambushed a vehicle ferrying quarry workers from Arabia to Mandera town at around midday, before droving them toward Somalia border and later released them unharmed.

Mandera County Commissioner Alex Ole Nkoyo said the militants later set free captives after robbing them of all their personal effects.

The militia then drove the vehicle toward the adjacent Somali border town of Bulla-Xawa.

“About 25 suspected Al-Shabaab militia waylaid a vehicle which was carrying 22 quarry workers to Mandera town from Arabia at gunpoint and kidnapped all the passengers,” Nkoyo said.

The latest attack comes barely a week after another militia attacked a road construction field site in Fino, Lafey sub-county, in Mandera County and killed a driver of a tractor.

He said the combined security team, were still pursuing the militia as the recovered vehicle was taken to Mandera police station as the investigation continues.

The security alert comes amid rising fears among communities living along the porous border with Somalia that the Islamist group was turning their frustration on the innocent civilians in a series of revenge attacks.
.