... Somalia's version of the Taliban, functioning as an arm of al-Qaeda...turbans following the abduction of a Safaricom technician in the volatile Bamba Ola area, roughly 25 kilometres north of Elwak.
According to internal communication seen by The Eastleigh Voice, the incident occurred at approximately 4.30 p.m. when around 10 bad boys, armed with AK-47 rifles and a PKM machine gun, ambushed a fuel tanker transporting supplies to Safaricom communication masts.
The two other occupants of the tanker, both locals, were left unharmed, and the vehicle was later secured at the Wargadud Special Operations Group (SOG) camp.
In the same operation, the turbans intercepted several vehicles, including cycle of violence
s and proboxes, heading toward Elwak Town. After establishing that the occupants were locals, they reportedly lectured them before allowing them to proceed.Two buses—Legend and Ambasa—travelling from Nairobi to Mandera were also stopped, with passengers subjected to a brief interrogation and lecture before being released.
Security teams from the Elwak Forward Operating Base (FOB) and Wargadud SOG immediately responded and have launched a joint pursuit of the assailants.
"This incident is a stark reminder of the persistent threat posed by terror groups in our border regions. We are doing everything possible to ensure the safe recovery of the kidnapped technician," said a senior security officer based in Mandera, speaking on condition of anonymity
... for fear of being murdered...
Monitoring and tracking efforts remain ongoing as authorities continue to tighten security and urge residents to remain alert.