Al-Shabaab militants kidnap 4 construction workers in Wajir, Kenya

NAIROBI, Kenya - Special Forces from Kenya Defense Forces are in pursuit of suspected Al-Shabaab militants who kidnapped four construction workers, Tuesday.

The four, whose identity is yet to be established, were ambushed at a remote village of Wel Garas area in Wajir County, thus the difficulty in relaying of the information.

Wajir East Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Omar Beja confirmed the incident which happened around 10 pm, with details about the attackers remaining scanty.

Security sources say the four workers were kidnapped around Riba and Konton where they were working on a road. They had a vehicle and graders at the time of the incident.

"I can confirm that four people who were doing road construction between Riba and Konton were kidnapped by suspected Al-Shabaab militants last night," said Beja.

A driver, who was also in the team, survived the abduction after asking the suspected militants to allow him go for a short call.

Beja, who is the senior most government representative in the area, told reporters on Wednesday that the driver is in safe hands after escaping the ordeal.

"We are getting information that the driver ran away from his abductors and we can confirm that he is in safe hands," he said.

Special Forces have been deployed to the remove village for intelligence gathering and subsequent search and rescue missions.

A fortnight ago, the suspected militants also ambushed a Mandera-bound bus, killing 11 passengers mainly non-locals. The majority of them were police officers.

Eleven people among them the driver and the conductor of the ill-fated bus have been detained for questioning. A primary school headteacher is said to have coordinated the attack.

Cases of Al-Shabaab militants abducting civilians are common in Northeastern Kenya. The scheme is used as a strategy to extort money from affected parties.

Two Cuban doctors working in Mandera County were kidnapped in April this year. The abductors reportedly demanded $1.5 million from the Kenyan government.

Ines Maria Chapman, vice president of the Cuban Council of Ministers, told reporters in Havana on Monday after a trip to Kenya that the doctors are 'safe' in Somalia.

"The Kenyan authorities affirmed that both doctors, Assel Herrera and Landy Rodriguez, are well and they will continue their efforts, as well as those carried out by our country, for their safe return to Cuba," she said.

The militants often cross the Kenya-Somalia porous border for the execution of terror-related activities. A tourist was abducted in 2010 forcing Kenya to send troops to Somalia.

Last week President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned Modika Army Barracks in Garissa which will host soldiers safeguarding the border.

GAROWE ONLINE