News
Al Shabaab kidnap aid workers at Kenyan camp
Posted Thursday, October 13 2011 at 22:30
Two Spaniards were on Thursday kidnapped by al Shabaab gunmen at the Dadaab refugee camp in Garissa.
The victims were relief workers with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders).
Emergency response teams comprising the police and the military were airborne minutes after the incident at Dadaab Ifo camp was reported.
But by the time of going to press, there was no indication that the Kenyan forces had tracked down the kidnappers.
This marks an escalation of cross-border raids by the Islamic militants who have so far abducted two tourists and killed another in Lamu. (READ: Kenya's security forces on the spot after attacks)
On Thursday, they struck at midday in a raid that took about 40 minutes. Officers aboard military and police helicopters complained of poor visibility because it was raining heavily.
Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said: “We’ve dispatched a helicopter. Another chopper from the military is also involved.
‘‘They have reported that manoeuvring is difficult because of bad weather but the operation is under way.”
A witness told the Nation by phone from Dadaab that the victims were doctors and were being driven home from work.
Shot the driver
“The attackers, who were armed with AK-47 rifles waited for them outside. As soon as the vehicle carrying them left the gate, they blocked it, shot the driver and abducted the two foreigners to an unknown destination,” the witness, a Kenyan worker at the camp, said.
He added: “The attackers were among the refugees who have stayed here for some time. It is difficult to know when they came because we have new arrivals every day.”
He believes there are many more al Shabaab fighters in the camp pretending to be refugees.
Thursday’s incident was the third in two months, in which foreigners were abducted by gunmen and taken to lawless Somalia.
French woman Marieu Dedieu was kidnapped on Manda Island on October 1 while Mrs Judith Tebbutt, a Briton, was abducted and her husband David shot dead at Kiwayu resort in Kiunga in September.
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Submitted by TheoPosted October 15, 2011 07:28 AM
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Submitted by marcopolo
The Police and Intelligence services are the biggest let downs to Kenya.The "measures" of two helicopters are not enough.They could be shot down.It should not be difficult to guard our country but 65% 0f govenment ilitupa mbao long ago.
Posted October 15, 2011 12:02 AM -
Submitted by iboirungu20
We dont need propaganda news confrences from Kiraithe n company when Kenyans along the border are having sleepless nights. we along the border might as well salimu amri and join them not because we believe in their cause... but to preserve our own lives. might sound ludacris but am seeing secession war if Kibaki continues to play MR NICE GUY.
Posted October 14, 2011 09:49 PM -
Submitted by fahimali
Before the military can venture anywhere the commander in chief has to give an order but anyone who is waiting for that order from kibaki atachoka.kibaki will never give a millitary order and we have to accept as it is untill he retires.
Posted October 14, 2011 07:55 PM -
Submitted by Helicopter
Expert Comment. Alshabab is terror menace, they are irregular forces.Kenya moving all its forces to run over Somalia or setting a permanent base at border cannot intself address this problem. Ugandans have been in Mogadishu and they are yet to stop bomb blasts in that city. Americans have been in Afghanistan and have not stopped the Talibans yet. You need to think critically before putting your comments here.
Posted October 14, 2011 07:47 PM
RSS
I have a solution. 1. Arm the more than 500,000 unemployed Kenyans to swarm Somalia based on patriotism. 2. Circumvent the constitution and recall Kibaki. We need a commander in chief with balls. 3. Reshuffle the whole military. Karagi should already have had a plan, gone to SH and asked the prezzo for permission to math to Somalia.