Soldier Killed By Somali Militants İn Northern Kenya

A Kenyan soldier was killed early Saturday while trying to rescue two civilians abducted by Somali militant group Al-Shabaab in the northern Mandera town.



"The KDF soldier was in the process of rescuing two locals. There was fighting between Al-Shabaab militants and the rescue team and the Kenyan soldier was killed in the fighting," local government official Ahmed Ugas told The Anadolu Agency.



"The two civilians abducted were, however, rescued," he added.



According to Ugas, Al-Shabaab militants later abducted two non-local teachers not far from Sheikh Barrow in eastern Mandera, where 28 people were killed earlier this year.



The two incidents come two days after a local Kenyan chief was abducted and later killed by Al-Shabaab militants.



Al-Shabaab had previously carried out a series of attacks in Mandera, including three attempted assassinations of the local governor.



At least 148 people – mostly students – were killed earlier this month in a devastating militant attack on northern Kenya's Garissa University College. Responsibility for the carnage was swiftly claimed by Al-Shabaab.



The Al-Qaeda-linked group has vowed to carry out attacks in Kenya as long as the East African country maintains a military presence in Somalia.



www.aa.com.tr/en - Nayrobi