American soldiers seized in southern Somalia, Arab and Western diplomats say

Aweys Osman Yusuf
Mogadishu ( Sh.M.Network)
There have been mounting reports that number of American soldiers was missing in southern Somalia following the recent US air operations on the Islamist and al-Qaeda hideouts in southern jungles of the country, alsharqa, an Arabic newspaper based in Qatar reported on Friday.

US Soldiers in horn of africa

The paper also reported that Kenyan police have seized armed Asians crossing from Somalia into the Kenyan border. The Kenyan police believe the foreigners were fighting alongside with Somalia’s defeated Islamists.
According to the paper, Arab diplomats, who have asked anonymity, confirmed that unspecified number of US foot soldiers was seized in southern Somalia where Islamists are believed to be hiding after their loss of the capital Mogadishu to the UN and internationally backed transitional government of Somalia and the Ethiopian troops in the country.
Western diplomats, who have not been named, also affirmed that US soldiers were missing in southern Somalia, Alsharqa reported.
It added that Michael Ranneberger, the US ambassador to Kenya, who met with Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, the defeated Islamist leader under the Kenyan custody, has asked Ahmed to explain where the missing Americans are lingering.
Ranneburger has reportedly made the efforts to convince Ahmed to go back to Somalia and take part in a unity government election, which he said, would be held in Somalia next year. He said Sharif could achieve a high government post in the upcoming government election.
Meanwhile Kenyan police, who asked to remain anonymous, have confirmed to Alsharqa that they caught two foreign fighters armed AK47s between the Kenyan and Somalia border.
The date of the capture was not specified, however.
Kenyan security forces are stationed at the Kenyan border along with Somalia to clutch the escaping Islamists and al-Qaeda operatives given a safe heaven in Somalia by the Islamic Courts Union.

US ambassador Ranneburger, who spoke to Shabelle on 20 January, said the Islamists were harboring al-Qaeda operatives who were exerting control of the Islamic Courts.

Islamists always denied they had al-Qaeda operatives in their Islamic party while in control of the strife-torn country.

According to Kenyan Times, Kenyan authorities have arrested five people, including a U.S. citizen and a French citizen suspected to be fighters for Somalia's outdone Islamist movement, on Friday.
Shabelle Media Network