Chief Abducted and Killed in Suspected al-Shabab Attack Near Mandera
A local chief has been abducted and killed by suspected al-Shabab militants near Mandera town in northern Kenya, heightening security concerns in a region long troubled by cross-border attacks.
Chief Muktar Otieno was seized early Thursday morning along the Arabia–Mandera road, a few kilometres from the Somali border. Local administrators say the ambush occurred at dawn as the chief travelled to Mandera town.
According to Assistant Chief Abdinoor Dakane, who witnessed the attack, the armed militants overpowered the chief, took him away, and later demanded a ransom of KSh 4 million for his release. A group of elders attempted to negotiate with the assailants after tracing them to a settlement near the border, but the militants allegedly executed the chief when the ransom could not be raised.
He was tied to a tree and shot dead in front of the elders, Dakane told the BBC Somali Service. He later announced his resignation, saying he feared for his life after witnessing the abduction.
The killing happened close to the site of the 2014 Mandera bus attack, in which 28 passengers were killed by al-Shabab gunmen. The group has carried out a series of attacks in Kenya in recent years, often targeting areas near the border.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions following the Garissa University attack, where 148 people, mostly students, were killed earlier this month. The Kenyan government has since extended an amnesty program encouraging al-Shabab recruits to surrender.
There has been no official comment from Kenyan authorities on the chief’s death, and al-Shabab has not claimed responsibility for the attack.
The region remains on high alert as security agencies continue operations along the porous Kenya–Somalia frontier.