Two missionaries from South Korea were abducted in northern Kenya

Two South Korean missionaries were abducted by gunmen in northern Kenya, near the Ethiopian border, on Monday evening. In a separate incident in the same region, eight Kenyans were fatally shot, according to local officials.

Last year, the government initiated a security operation to disarm local bandits and restore order and tranquility to the arid borderlands between Kenya and Ethiopia, which are replete with weaponry and are frequently the target of armed group assaults.

Marsabit County Governor Mohamud Ali issued a statement on Tuesday stating that two missionaries of Korean descent were abducted and are currently being held incommunicado.

Marsabit County Commissioner James Kamau was quoted by The Standard newspaper as stating that a South Korean male and his mother-in-law were abducted from their residence in the village of Odda at approximately 9:00 p.m. (1800 GMT) On Monday.

Deputy County Commissioner David Saruni informed Reuters late on Tuesday that the man’s mobile phone signal was last found at the Ethiopian frontier. “Efforts to locate him have been futile since the phone has been switched off,” Saruni informed reporters.

The South Korean embassy in Nairobi did not promptly respond to an email requesting comment. The abduction was brought to the attention of Resila Onyango, the spokesperson for the national police, who was unable to furnish additional information.

Around 100 km (62 miles) west of the city of Moyale, assailants in “jungle attire” killed eight individuals and set their corpses ablaze beside the lorry they were traveling in in another attack on Monday night, according to a police report obtained by Reuters.