The fate of two Cuban doctors kidnapped by an al Qaeda-linked group in Somalia five years ago is uncertain as the Pentagon said it is investigating claims the two were allegedly killed during an American drone strike against the terrorist organization.
The militant group al-Shabaab violently abducted doctors Assel Herrera Correa, a specialist in general medicine, and Landy Rodriguez Hernandez, a surgeon, from nearby Kenya in April 2019. The group claimed in a statement that the Cubans were killed in an American drone strike in the city of Jilib in central Somalia on Feb. 15.
Their claims have not been independently verified.
Maj. Pete Nguyen, a Department of Defense spokesperson, confirmed “there was an airstrike conducted against the al Shabaab network on Feb. 15 near Jilib, Somalia.”
He said the Pentagon was aware of reports of “a strike alleged to have killed two civilians. We do not have any further information at this time about these reports, but we do take all claims of civilian casualties seriously.”
He said that the U.S. Africa Command, which works with the Somalian army to attack al-Shaabab targets, was still assessing the results of the operation.
On Friday, the president of Cuba's National Assembly, Esteban Lazo, met with the president of Kenya, William Ruto, to seek clarity on the situation of the kidnapped doctors, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said.
Ruto said Lazo brought “a special message” from Cuban leader…
