Gunmen suspected to be members of the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab militant group abducted five government officials in Mandera County, northeast Kenya, on Monday, according to local media reports.
The officials, who are local chiefs, were on their way to work in Elwak town when they were ambushed and taken captive, Citizen TV reported, citing North Eastern Regional Commissioner John Otieno. The Nation newspaper also confirmed the incident, quoting Mandera South Police Commander Julius Njeru.
Al-Shabaab’s Ongoing Threat in Kenya
The Somali-based al Shabaab group, which has been fighting to overthrow Somalia’s central government and impose strict Islamic Sharia law, has frequently targeted Kenya in retaliation for the country’s military involvement in Somalia.
Kenyan forces are part of an international peacekeeping mission defending the Somali government, and al Shabaab has repeatedly launched cross-border attacks in an attempt to pressure Kenya into withdrawing its troops.
Authorities have launched a search operation for the abducted officials, though details on their whereabouts remain unclear. The incident underscores the persistent security threats in Kenya’s border regions, where al Shabaab has carried out frequent kidnappings, ambushes, and deadly attacks.
