Eelwaq (KAAB TV) – Reports from the North East indicate that the Al-Shabaab group has released at least five traditional elders who were kidnapped in April from the Elwaq district in the Mandera Autonomous Region. The elders had been held in Somalia since their abduction.
The elders went missing after Al-Shabaab ambushed a vehicle they were traveling in while en route to the city of Elwaq. The kidnapping occurred near the areas of Bamba Owla and Ires Suki.
The elders were on their way to meet Kenyan President William Ruto, who was visiting the North East region at the time of the incident.
South Mandera Police Commissioner Julius Njeru confirmed that the elders were taken from the Wargaduud area while heading to Elwaq during the attack.
The reason behind the release of the elders remains unclear, but reports suggest that their freedom was secured through the efforts of local elders and intellectuals who worked towards their release.
Kenyan media outlets had previously reported that Al-Shabaab demanded a ransom of 7 million Kenyan shillings for the release of the kidnapped elders. However, it is unknown whether the ransom was paid.