Suspected Al-Shabaab militia kidnap Kenyan driver

NAIROBI, KENYA: A Kenyan is missing after he and his three colleagues were attacked and robbed of two four-wheel drive vehicles in Bodhai area, near Kiunga at the Kenya-Somalia border.

The turn boy of one of the two missing vehicles was identified as George Mwiti.

His three colleagues were released after being attacked and held by almost 20 gunmen believed to be members of Somalia's Al-Shabaab militant group on Monday night, police said.

The four had driven to Somalia through the Kiunga border and dropped several kilogrammes of miraa and were driving back to Garissa when they were attacked.

One of the drivers identified as Amuar Abdi told The Standard on the phone the attackers were all Somalis and were in military jungle uniforms.

He said they were stopped on the way as they drove back to Garissa from Kiunga border before the heavily armed gunmen took control of their Toyota Land-cruisers.

"They beat us up and later took us to a forest where they cooked rice for us for the night. They later escaped in our vehicles together with Mwiti. We do not know where he is," said Abdi.

He added the attackers were headed for a mission in the area and confessed to them they were militants from Somalia.

Abdi said they had dropped several kilogrammes of miraa in Somalia on Monday afternoon and were driving back to Meru through Garissa when the incident happened.

He and his two colleagues resurfaced at the Kiunga police station Wednesday morning and narrated their ordeal to the security agents.

A military chopper was later summoned to the area and flew with the three victims to the site where they were held but no recovery was made.

An agent of the miraa transporters Liban Mohamed had reported to the police the crew were missing since Monday before the three appeared.

A senior police officer involved in the operation said they suspect the vehicles had crossed to Somalia together with the driver.

"From the confessions of the released men, the attackers were Al-Shabaabs and they are now probably in Somalia," said a senior officer who asked not to be named.

NAIROBI, KENYA: A Kenyan is missing after he and his three colleagues were attacked and robbed of two four-wheel drive vehicles in Bodhai area, near Kiunga at the Kenya-Somalia border.

The turn boy of one of the two missing vehicles was identified as George Mwiti.

His three colleagues were released after being attacked and held by almost 20 gunmen believed to be members of Somalia's Al-Shabaab militant group on Monday night, police said.

The four had driven to Somalia through the Kiunga border and dropped several kilogrammes of miraa and were driving back to Garissa when they were attacked.

One of the drivers identified as Amuar Abdi told The Standard on the phone the attackers were all Somalis and were in military jungle uniforms.

He said they were stopped on the way as they drove back to Garissa from Kiunga border before the heavily armed gunmen took control of their Toyota Landcruisers.

"They beat us up and later took us to a forest where they cooked rice for us for the night. They later escaped in our vehicles together with Mwiti. We do not know where he is," said Abdi.

He added the attackers were headed for a mission in the area and confessed to them they were militants from Somalia.

Abdi said they had dropped several kilogrammes of miraa in Somalia on Monday afternoon and were driving back to Meru through Garissa when the incident happened.

He and his two colleagues resurfaced at the Kiunga police station Wednesday morning and narrated their ordeal to the security agents.

A military chopper was later summoned to the area and flew with the three victims to the site where they were held but no recovery was made.

An agent of the miraa transporters Liban Mohamed had reported to the police the crew were missing since Monday before the three appeared.

A senior police officer involved in the operation said they suspect the vehicles had crossed to Somalia together with the driver.

"From the confessions of the released men, the attackers were Al-Shabaabs and they are now probably in Somalia," said a senior officer who asked not to be named.