MOGADISHU (KAAB TV) – Al-Shabaab, a notorious militant group with a history of violence, has asserted responsibility for the deaths of two Cuban doctors who were being held hostage since 2019.
Surgeon Landy Rodríguez and general medicine specialist Assel Herrera had been abducted by the group in April 2019 from Mandera, Kenya, where they were providing medical assistance to the local community.
According to reports, the doctors were allegedly killed in a drone strike in the town of Jilib, situated in the Middle Jubba region of southern Somalia.
In a statement issued by Al-Shabaab claiming that “American crusaders” conducted multiple drone strikes in Jilib on Thursday morning February 15, resulting in the deaths of the two Cuban prisoners.
The statement included photos purportedly showing the doctors who were killed.
As of now, the U.S. Africom has not provided any comment regarding Al-Shabaab’s claim.
The Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded cautiously, stating on its social media account that the information about the doctors’ deaths has not yet been confirmed.
They also mentioned ongoing communication with local authorities and counterparts in Kenya and Somalia, promising to inform the public promptly as soon as more details emerge.