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Kenya police freed from al-Shabab captivity in Somalia | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Two Kenyan officers abducted by al-Shabab militants more than two years ago have been freed, police say. | Two Kenyan officers abducted by al-Shabab militants more than two years ago have been freed, police say. |
Kenya's police chief Joseph Boinnet says the men are in "good health but traumatised", AFP news agency reports. | Kenya's police chief Joseph Boinnet says the men are in "good health but traumatised", AFP news agency reports. |
The officers were taken in an attack by the Islamist militants in north-eastern Garissa county in May 2013, close to the border with Somalia. | The officers were taken in an attack by the Islamist militants in north-eastern Garissa county in May 2013, close to the border with Somalia. |
The Somalia-based group killed 148 people in an attack on Kenya's Garissa University College in April. | The Somalia-based group killed 148 people in an attack on Kenya's Garissa University College in April. |
The officers were released on 25 June, but news of the operation was only made public on Thursday. | The officers were released on 25 June, but news of the operation was only made public on Thursday. |
The two men were taken across the border to Somalia where they were repeatedly moved between different al-Shabab camps, AFP cites Mr Boinnet as saying. | |
He gave no details of how the men were freed, but thanked the "several security agencies which undertook this delicate rescue mission". | |
An al-Shabab spokesman quoted in pro-al-Shabab media said the officers were released because they had converted to Islam. | |
The al-Qaeda-linked group group has carried out numerous attacks in Kenya near the long porous border with Somalia. | |
It says it is at war with Kenya, and wants it to withdraw troops sent to Somalia in 2011 to help the weak government in Mogadishu fight the militants. | It says it is at war with Kenya, and wants it to withdraw troops sent to Somalia in 2011 to help the weak government in Mogadishu fight the militants. |
Live news updates from Africa |
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