Al-Shabaab arrest traditional elders in Southern Somalia

Al-Shabaab fighters have arrested seven traditional elders on Monday  in Berhani village, located some 30 kilometres away from Kismayo town, the administrative capital of Jubbaland state.

Al-Shabaab says that the these local traditional elders have been spying for Somali government and having  been collaborating with KDF and Jubbaland forces in Lower Jubba region.

“Al-Shabaab fighters have arrested seven prominent traditional elders in the location, they are saying that these elders have been spying for Somali government and the allied forces, and I am sure these elders are quite innocent” says a local resident in Berhani location who doesn’t want his name to be disclosed to the press for security reasons.

The detention of the elders came after Al Shabaab has seized control of Berhani area on Sunday from Jubbaland troops backed by Kenyan Defense forces (KDF).

The fate of these elders who are now in the hands of Al-Shabaab are not know.

Al-Shabaab fighters are fighting to topple the internationally recognised government of Somalia.

The group carries out attacks on the government installations, hotels, UN offices in Somalia and military bases owned by African Union and Somali National Army (SNA) troops.

Al-Shabaab lost the control of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu in 2011 after Somali forces backed by AMISOM defeated the group.