A Kenyan soldier once declared dead after the deadly 2016 El Adde attack has resurfaced alive, revealing a harrowing account of survival in captivity for more than nine years.
Sergeant Abdullahi Issa Ibrahim, a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) serviceman from Wajir County, says he has been held by Al-Shabaab militants since January 15, 2016, when the group overran a Kenyan military base in El Adde, Somalia.
In a detailed account, Ibrahim recalls that he had only been stationed at the base for about two weeks when the early morning attack began.
What started as a routine day quickly turned into chaos as heavily armed militants launched a coordinated assault, using explosives and overwhelming force to breach the camp.
“The world exploded around us,” he said, describing intense gunfire, vehicle-borne bombs, and hundreds of fighters storming the base.
The El Adde attack remains one of the deadliest assaults on Kenyan troops in Somalia under the African Union mission. Scores of soldiers were killed, though the exact number has never been officially confirmed.
Ibrahim says he fought alongside fellow soldiers as long as he could before the base fell. He survived the attack but was captured alongside other troops and taken deep into Al-Shabaab-controlled مناطق.
Since then, he says he has been moved across different locations, living under constant guard and harsh conditions.
Back home, his family had long been told he was missing and presumed dead. With no body recovered, the military issued a death certificate, and relatives conducted prayers in his memory.
For years, his wife and children, including his daughter Katra, believed he had died in the line of duty.
However, that narrative changed recently when Ibrahim managed to contact his daughter by phone. The unexpected call stunned the family, who had already come to terms with his presumed death.
Shortly after, a video allegedly released by Al-Shabaab surfaced, showing Ibrahim appealing to the Kenyan government to secure his release and that of other captives.
In the footage, he identifies himself as a Kenyan soldier captured during the El Adde raid and urges authorities to take action.
“We went to Somalia to serve the nation… Do not forget us. Help bring us home,” he said.
Now in his 60s, Ibrahim says years of captivity have taken a toll on his health, but he remains hopeful of reuniting with his family.
His daughter has since begun publicly appealing to authorities, sharing his story and old photos in a bid to push for government intervention.
The Kenyan government and KDF are yet to issue an official statement regarding Ibrahim’s claims or the existence of other surviving captives from the 2016 attack.
The development raises fresh questions about the fate of soldiers reported missing in past العمليات and the government’s approach to handling prisoners of war held by militant groups.
As Ibrahim waits in captivity, his message remains clear: he is alive — and he wants to come home.