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NAIROBI, Kenya – Suspected Islamist militants kidnapped two Cuban doctors in an ambush that killed a police bodyguard in northern Kenya, near the Somali border, officials said on Friday.
This is the second kidnapping of a five-month-old alien, most likely committed by the al-Shabaab extremist group linked to al-Qaeda, based in Somalia.
The gunmen may have taken the doctors to Somalia, police spokesman Charlse Owino said. He said the doctor's driver had been arrested to help with the investigations.
The doctors were ambushed while they were on their way to work, said David Ohito, director of communications for the Mandera County Government.
Governor Ali Roba said that the gunmen's vehicle blocked the doctors' vehicle and opened fire on their bodyguards, killing them on the spot, Governor Al-Shabab said.
A police officer identified the doctors as Dr. Assel Herera Correa, general practitioner, and Dr. Landy Rodriguez, surgeon. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak to the press.
The Cuban Ministry of Health issued a statement confirming the abduction of two doctors. He said he had established channels of communication with the Kenyan authorities and set up a government working group to deal with the case.
Last year, at least 100 Cuban doctors were brought to Kenya as part of an exchange program. About 50 Kenyans traveled to Cuba for specialized training.
In November, an Italian volunteer, Silvia Romano, was kidnapped in the coastal region of southern Kenya by gunmen linked to al-Shabab. She has not been found.
Kidnapping for ransom was a frequent activity of al-Shabab before 2011. That's when Kenya sent troops to Somalia to fight the extremists who had kidnapped four Europeans that year. Kenya said kidnappings threatened tourism, a key pillar of the economy.
Kenyan troops are now part of the African Union's multinational force reinforcing the weak Somali government against al-Shabab. The extremist group vowed to avenge Kenya for its troop presence in Somalia.
The deadly Al Shabab attack on a luxury hotel complex in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, in January, is one of many attacks in Kenya that has claimed hundreds of lives since 2011.
The border region of Mandera County was the most affected by the attacks.
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Andrea Rodriguez, badociate editor of Press in Havana, Cuba contributed.
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