Suspected al Shabaab militants kidnapped a French woman from her vacation home in Kenya over the weekend. Kenyan authorities say the woman, who has not been identified by French authorities, was taken from her home near the resort town of Lamu on Saturday by ten heavily armed militants. The gunmen took the woman to Somalia by boat.
Government officials said the Navy “swung into immediate action and pursued the abductors as they sped northwards in high-speed boats.” A shoot-out ensued and several militants were wounded, but they were still able to make it to the Somalia town of Ras Komboni. From there, it is believed the woman was taken deeper in to al Shabaab territory.
Kenyan security minister George Saitoti said “every effort” is being made to locate the woman and rescue her. Authorities say the woman is in her 60s, uses a wheelchair, and spends about 6 months every year in Kenya.
The kidnapping comes just weeks after Somali pirates killed a British man and kidnapped his wife from a lodge near Lamu. Authorities say Judith Tebbutt is currently being held by pirates in a remote area of Somalia.
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