Unidentified gunmen abducted a senior a staff member of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Mogadishu, the organization confirmed.
The victim from Germany whose name was not disclosed to the media was reportedly kidnapped shortly after 8 pm (local time) by armed men who entered Red Cross Compound.
A statement released by the agency, Daniel O’Malley, ICRC’s deputy head of delegation for Somalia confirmed the incident saying German nurse working for International Committee of the Red Cross has been abducted in the Somali capital Mogadishu.
“We are deeply concerned about the safety of our colleague, She is a nurse who was working every day to save lives and improve the health of some of Somalia’s vulnerable people,” said O’Malley.
The official noted that the agency is discussing the incident with the authorities
“The ICRC is in contact with various authorities to try and secure her release. It is not appropriate to provide any additional information at this stage,” the statement reads in part.
German government-funded media, Deutsche Welle quoting an officials reported the nurse was taken through a back entrance, avoiding the ICRC’s security guards who were stationed at the entrance of the Swiss-based agency’s compound.
No one immediately claimed the responsibility though Somali officials who spoke to the media blamed Al-shabab fighters for executing the abduction.
Avoiding the ICRC’s security guards who were stationed at the entrance of the Swiss-based agency’s compound the gunmen used the back door.
In March, the agency lost one of its workers in Mogadishu in bomb explosion claimed by Al-Shabab.
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