“Three staff members from the Danish Demining Group have been kidnapped,” said Klaus Ljoerring Pedersen, the group’s regional chief.
“One is a Somali man, two are international staff members, an American woman and a Danish man,” Pederson said, adding that investigations were ongoing.
The three were abducted in Galkayo, where the group has been present since 2007.
Local security officer Ali Mohamed said the aid workers were kidnapped from near the airport at Galkayo. DDG clears landmines and other unexploded ordnance in the area to open up the use of land, and also provides mine risk education to reduce injuries.
Galkayo, which straddles the border between Puntland and the self-proclaimed separate region of Galmudug in central Somalia, saw heavy fighting last month between rival political or clan groups.
“We have sent security forces to block all routes to stop them,” Galmadug deputy security minister Ahmed Mahmud told reporters.
However, he added that the gunmen were reported to be heading east towards the anarchic Hobyo district, a region notorious for pirate gangs.