Six US-Born Teens Among 18 Girls Rescued from Madrasa in Kenya

Police have rescued 18 girls who were allegedly being held against their will at a Muslim school in Kwale County.

The girls were rescued after officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in collaboration with anti-terrorism police raided the Madrasa on Saturday, April 18th.

The raid came after one of the girls, an American national, alerted a relative in Nairobi that she was being held in the facility against her will and under torture.

Kinango Police Commander Frederick Ombaka, while confirming the incident, said six of the 18 girls are Somali-Americans born in Seattle, Washington, DC. The six are aged between 15 and 19 years.

When interrogated, some of the girls said they were brought into Kenya from the US by their relatives to study Islam.

Detectives are trying to find out whether the girls were subjected to indoctrination and sexual exploitation. They are also seeking to establish the identities and parents of all the victims.

Two suspects, aged 28 and 50, were arrested during the operation and were booked to Taru Police Station. They are said to be accomplices of the proprietor of the school.