Kenyan police say one person was killed and four foreign aid workers were kidnapped Friday in the sprawling Dadaab refugee complex, near the border with Somalia.

Dadaab District Commissioner Albert Kimathi tells VOA the incident happened in the Ifo 2 camp, in the compound of an aid group, the Norwegian Refugee Council.

“In total there are four foreigners: one Norwegian, one Colombian, one Pakistan, and one Philippine,” he said.

Kimathi initially said two Kenyans were also kidnapped, but later said one Kenyan had been killed.

He declined to speculate on who was responsible for Friday's attack.

Kenyan authorities have blamed the Somali militant group al-Shabab for previous kidnappings in Dadaab and other areas near the border.

Kenya cited the kidnappings as a reason for sending military forces into Somalia last October to fight al-Shabab. The militant group has denied abducting people in Kenya.

Kimathi said police had recovered a vehicle used in Friday's kidnapping. He said he did not believe the kidnap victims had been taken into Somalia.

The Dadaab complex is home to more than 450,000 Somali refugees who fled their homes because of chronic conflict, drought and poverty.

In a brief statement, the Norwegian Refugee Council said two of its top officials were present at Friday's incident but that both were unharmed.