Motorist abducted in Garissa in suspected Al Shabaab attack

Suspected Al Shabaab militia on Wednesday evening abducted a motorist in Garissa, a day after the United State embassy listed the county as one of those unsafe due to terrorist threats.

The whereabouts of Mohamed Abdikadir remain unknown. According to Fuad Ali who was traveling alongside Abdikadir, they were ambushed near Modika Border Patrol Unit camp while heading to Ifo.

Their car, driven by the missing man, was blocked by another vehicle before two gunmen alighted forcing them out. They were assaulted by the attackers who took control of the vehicle and drove it up to Lapset Road, where Ali was abandoned while the abductors disappeared with Abdikadir.

On Tuesday, the US embassy issued a fresh travel advisory to its citizens in Kenya. The embassy  cautioned Americans against visiting or traveling to certain areas that are likely to be unsafe due to crime, civil unrest, terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.

Among the areas Americans warned not to travel to include Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, and Tana River counties as well as parts of Malindi due to terrorism and kidnapping threats.

According to the US, terror attacks in government buildings, schools, places of worship, malls, and hotels have occurred with little or no warning.

“Terrorist acts have included armed assault, suicide operations, bomb or grenade attacks, and kidnappings,” says the advisory alert.

In the recent past, Mandera has faced terror-related incidences with the latest being the killing of police officer Dennis Omari who was shot in an ambush by Somalia’s National Intelligence Service Agency (NISA) at the weekend.

It is believed the attack was retaliatory after Kenyan police foiled an ambush at a construction site in Mandera town where two of the plotters were arrested and up on interrogation, revealed they had planned to abduct Chinese nationals.

Police say one of the suspects is a brother to the NISA officer who led the revenge attack that left Omari dead, and undisclosed number of weapons stolen.

The attack came about a month after five chiefs and a girl were abducted by Al Shabaab militia. The chiefs are still in captive in Somalia’s Jilbril region where they were taken.

The US embassy also warned her citizens from visiting West Pokot and Turkana counties that are prone to banditry attacks while in Marsabit, Americans were advised not to travel there due to cross-border incursions.