Gunmen hijack Cuban doctors in Mandera

Two Cuban doctors have been abducted by an unknown number of gunmen Friday morning in an ambush carried out on Mandera-Nairobi highway in Mandera town.
The attackers shot dead one of the two police officers who were guarding the doctors in the attack that happened at 9am.
According to an eye witness, the armed gunmen who were traveling in two small cars blocked the vehicle that was ferrying the medics to work before hijacking the doctors.
The source said the assailants alighted and opened fire on the police officers, killing one instantly.
A second police officer managed to escape the attack that happened right in the middle of the border town.
The gunmen then bundled the two health workers into their cars and drove off and reports indicate they have crossed the border into Somalia.
The incident has happened a day after North Eastern regional Commissioner Mohamed Birik launched the county action plan on curbing terrorism.
Mandera County Commissioner Kutswa Olaka has confirmed the incident.
He said efforts are being made by a multi security agency to rescue the doctors.
The fate of the foreign doctors from Havana was not immediately clear as security officials are yet to issue a comprehensive statement on the incident.
By Dickson Githaiga