Terrorism link feared in Somali disappearances

Young Somali men in Minneapolis have gone missing in recent months, and some in the Somali community fear terrorist groups are recruiting the youths to return to their homeland as fighters.

One of the men who disappeared is thought to have killed himself in an Oct. 29 suicide bombing in northern Somalia, according to a U.S. law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to speak publicly about the case. The official confirmed that the FBI and Justice Department were investigating.

Members of the community said small groups of young men had been disappearing over the last year. Anywhere from 15 to 20 have left Minneapolis in recent months, said Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center.