Five local chiefs were ambushed and kidnapped in Elwak, Mandera County, on Monday morning by suspected militants believed to be linked to the Al-Shabaab terror group. The attack occurred as the administrators were en route to coordinate preparations for President William Ruto’s scheduled visit to the region later this week.
According to police reports and witness accounts, the National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs)—four chiefs and an assistant chief—were traveling in a silver Alto Wagon, registration number KDC 128C, when they were intercepted between Bamba Owla and Ires Suki around 8:15 a.m. The officials had been on their way from Wargadud to Elwak, both located in Mandera Central South, to oversee the vetting process for national identity card applicants.
Authorities identified the abducted officials as Hassan Kulmia, chief of Wargadud East Location; Mohamed Hache, chief of Chachabole Location; Adaw Mohamed, chief of Wargadud Town; Ibrahim Gabow, assistant chief of Wargadud East Sub-location; and Abdi Suraw, chief of Quramathow Location.
Reports indicate that approximately 40 heavily armed militants seized the officials, blindfolded them, and took control of their vehicle before driving it toward Lafey and subsequently crossing into Somalia. Security sources revealed that local officers who attempted to pursue the attackers came under heavy fire, with the assailants hurling explosive devices at them, completely disabling their vehicle. Fortunately, no officers sustained injuries during the confrontation.
Given that the abducted chiefs are members of the Garre community, which has a presence on both sides of the Kenya-Somalia border, local elders have been dispatched to Somalia to negotiate their release. “We are actively working with community leaders to establish communication and seek a peaceful resolution,” a security official disclosed.
Mandera South Police Commander Julius Njeru confirmed the abduction and stated that efforts to locate the missing officials were ongoing. He acknowledged that intelligence reports had previously warned of potential attacks by Al-Shabaab targeting government officers in the region.
President William Ruto is expected to visit northern Kenya this week, with planned stops in Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Mandera, and Wajir counties. Part of his itinerary includes holding a Cabinet meeting in Garissa County, alongside assessing development projects and security measures in the region.
Following the attack, a large-scale joint security operation has been launched to track the perpetrators. Preliminary reports indicate that the armed group swiftly crossed into Somalia after executing the attack, taking advantage of the porous border.
This incident adds to a series of violent attacks in Mandera County. On December 9 last year, suspected Al-Shabaab militants ambushed and killed a Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer in Lafey before hijacking a vehicle to flee the scene. The assailants dumped the officer’s body while escaping into Somalia. During the same attack, a local fuel station attendant, Muhumed Bashir, was abducted but later found injured and abandoned in the bushes. Several civilians sustained injuries from stray bullets and were hospitalized.
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