NAIROBI, – Gunmen suspected of belonging to the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group abducted five government officials in northeast Kenya on Monday as they were on their way to work, media reported.

The incident happened in Mandera county when the five chiefs were heading to the town of Elwak, Citizen TV said, quoting North Eastern Regional Commissioner John Otieno.

Nation newspaper reported the same incident, quoting Mandera South police commander Julius Njeru.

Police spokesperson Michael Nyaga did not respond to a request for comment.

The al Qaeda-allied al Shabaab has been fighting for years in Somalia to topple the central government and establish its own rule based on its strict interpretation of Islamic sharia law.

It has also carried out attacks in neighbouring Kenya as part of efforts to press Kenya to withdraw troops from Somalia, where they are part of an international peacekeeping force defending the central government.