Two Dutchmen of Somali origin arrested two days ago in Kenya on suspicion of terrorism have been released, a Kenyan newspaper reports.

The two were detained on Thursday in the capital Nairobi along with their Kenyan driver while filming the defence ministry. They were apprehended by military police just metres from the main entrance to the ministry and then handed over to anti-terrorism officers, according to the Daily Nation. They were freed after being questioned and surrendering their footage. The two say they were visiting family.

Kenya’s security forces have been on heightened alert since October, when the army entered neighbouring Somalia to pursue what it says are Islamist militants of the al-Shabaab terrorist group.

Al-Shabaab are said to control large parts of Somalia and to have attracted foreign militants. The organisation has threatened to carry out attacks in Kenya in response to the incursion, Over the past few weeks, the Kenyan authorities have arrested a number of Europeans and nationals from the United States as they tried to cross the border with Somalia.

In July 2009 three Dutchmen and a Moroccan citizen with a Dutch residence permit were arrested along the Somali border on suspicion of wanting to join al-Shabaab. They were repatriated to the Netherlands.

(cl/imm)

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