Al Shabaab militia take hostage Kenyan town, lecture residents

12 suspected Al Shabaab militia on Friday are said to have taken hostage the Kenyan border village of Konton, Wajir East.

The militia are said to have crossed from the Somalia border where they allegedly mounted the black Al Shabaab flag in a local chief’s office before proceeding to lecture the locals.

North Eastern Regional Coordinator Mohamud Saleh said that the militia, who control a small town in Somalia called Dar er Salam and which is 15KM from Konton Area, were immediately repulsed by the Kenya Defense Forces.

Saleh said the military officers, who are stationed at Gerille area, 12km from the town, countered the militia who then retreated to Somalia.

The Coordinator further said that he had contacted the Somali National Army to immediately take over the town which is still under the militias control before the Kenyan military officers intervene.

The incident comes barely a month after the Al-Qaeda linked militia took over Auasquran Centre near the Somalia border and only five kilometers from Konton.

This is the second lecture by the militia in the region. Last month, they stormed the border villages of Kawasalo and Tumtishi in Hullugho, Garissa County, where they lectured residents after herding them into mosques.

Residents reported that the militia, who were about 18, were led by a bearded-old-man, suspected to be Mohamed Kuno alias Gamadhere, who has a bounty of Ksh 20 million on his head for allegedly masterminding the Garissa University College attack.

The Deputy County Commissioner said a contingent of security personnel including the Kenya D