Al-Shabaab executes Kenyan hostage, threatens five more

MOGADISHU, Feb. 15  -- The Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab claimed Friday it had executed a Kenyan hostage and threatened to kill five others.

The killed hostage, Kenyan Defense Force (KDF) Private Jonathan Kipkosgei Kangogo, was captured by the insurgents last year."While the Mujahideen have executed the serving KDF soldier, there is still a chance of securing the release of the remaining five prisoners," the radical group said in a statement posted on a pro-Islamist website.

Al-Shabaab has previously demanded the release of Islamist prisoners held in Kenya in exchange for the freedom of the Kenyan hostages.The group said the Kenyan government had 72 hours to decide whether to agree to their demands.

Al-Shabaab has been fighting since 2008 to topple Somalia's weak central government, and has long been accused of destabilizing the border area between Kenya and Somalia.