News Search Search this site or the web powered by FreeFind Site search Web search Story archive		1-4-2003 Independent Black Watch rescues abducted drivers from 10-day ordeal By Gethin Chamberlain and Nick Parker near Basra TWO KENYAN truck drivers taken captive in Iraq 10 days ago and feared dead were dramatically rescued yesterday by British troops. David Mukaria and Jakubu Kamau were found when troops from the Black Watch, acting on a tip-off from local people, burst into a school in Zubayr, 12 miles south of Basra. The pair had been blindfolded and their hands and feet bound together throughout their ordeal. They had no access to food and water. The men, who were shown in captivity on al-Jazeera television last week, said they spent their time praying for rescue or death, listening to their captors deciding whether or not to kill them. "They beat us, tied us up, tied our hands and feet and covered our eyes and they took everything we had," Mr Mukaria said. "We decided because we are Christians we would ask God to save us or take our souls to heaven. We just prayed and prayed." The men are employees of a company based in Saudi Arabia delivering food supplies to the US military. They became separated from a convoy heading for the southern seaport of Umm Qasr and got lost near Zubayr. They were approached by a man with a torch, before about 20 Iraqi militiamen appeared and dragged them from the cab. British troops, who are now in control of Zubayr, found the school building empty but for a stockpile of weapons, and the two hostages cowering in a classroom. Cpl Stewart Robson said: "When we found them they were in darkness in a room which had all its windows blacked out and they had trouble adjusting to the light as we led them out. They said they'd been beaten and showed us the marks on their wrists where their hands had been tied". Last night the men said they were prepared to return to Iraq if they could be guaranteed a better escort next time. "We are not afraid. We ask God to bless the people who took us," Mr Mukaria said. Compiled from pooled dispatches.
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