In north Kenya, close to the Ethiopian borders, on Monday night, militants abducted two South Korean preachers, killing eight Kenyans in a separate incident there, according to local officials.
The authorities launched a protection operation last year to disarm native bandits and restore order to the region’s dry borderlands, which are frequently replete with weapons and are the target of numerous raids by armed groups.
According to Marsabit County Governor Mohamud Ali,” Two missionaries of Asian descent were abducted and are currently being held incommunicado.”
According to Marsabit County Commissioner James Kamau, a South Korean man and his mother-in-law were taken from their Odda home on Monday around 9 o’clock ( 1800 GMT ), according to the Standard newspaper.
Deputy County Commissioner David Saruni told Reuters later on Tuesday that the boy’s mobile phone message was past linked to Ethiopia’s borders. Since the phone has been turned off, efforts to identify him have been fruitless, according to Saruni.
A request for comment was sent via email to the South Asian ambassador in Nairobi. Resila Onyango, a spokesperson for the federal police, said she was conscious of the abduction but could not offer more details.
In another attack on Monday night, gunmen dressed as” jungle attire” shot dead eight people and burned their bodies next to a lorry they were traveling in, about 100 kilometers ( 62 miles ) west of Moyale, according to a police report seen by Reuters.
