(Xinhua) — Kenyan soldiers on Saturday rescued two Kenyans who had been abducted on Friday by suspected Al-Shabaab militants in Mandera county in the northeast region, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The military rescued Adan Malel Kulac and Adan Hassan Affey who were abducted in Arabia town late on Saturday.
Mandera County Commissioner Alex Nkoyo also clarified that Kulac, a madrassa teacher and Affey who is a member of a local relief committee were abducted on noon on Friday at a local village, some 10 km from Fino town.
“The matter was immediately reported to the security agents on patrol who pursued the abductors, caught up with them and luckily freed the two local Somali persons who were reportedly abducted,” Nkoyo said.
The militants, who were using a Probox, bundled the two in the car before speeding off towards Somalia via Sheikh Barrow Road, said police.
Nkoyo said the soldiers who were manning the border engaged the militias in a heavy exchange of fire before they alighted from the vehicle and fled on foot, leaving the two in the vehicle.
“Our soldiers overpowered them and so when they realized that they are being cornered they stopped and fled towards Somalia which is meters away,” Nkoyo said.
“The two have since gone on air on local FM stations in Mandera and given account of how they were abducted and how they were swiftly rescued,” he added.
The two have been on the forefront in denouncing Al-Shabaab activities. Their abduction came just a day after area chief was abducted and later killed by the militias.
The militants late last year hijacked a Nairobi-bound commuter bus and brutally murdered 28 people, mostly non local teachers who were returning home for holiday.
Already, the education sector is the most hit in northeast region as non Muslim teachers posted to Wajir, Garissa and Mandera counties have declined to resume duty and instead, pitched camp in Nairobi seeking transfers to other regions citing insecurity among a host of other challenges.
Thousands of students have been forced to conduct their own tuition for lack of teachers while some schools are engaging the services of former students to fill the gap left by the missing teachers.
