Foreign Al-Shabaab Fighter Surrenders In Bakool After Four Years With Group

GOOBJOOG NEWS | BAKOOL: A foreign fighter who spent more than four years with Al-Shabaab has surrendered to local defence forces in Bakool, highlighting the continued presence of non-Somali recruits within the militant group as Somali forces step up operations against its leadership and networks.

The man, who identified himself as Mufti and is from Ethiopia’s Oromo community, surrendered in Quracjoome, Bakool region, according to Somalia’s Defence Ministry. He said he had been a member of Al-Shabaab for four years and one month and was given the name Omar after entering Somalia.

His surrender comes amid renewed Somali military operations against Al-Shabaab. In recent weeks, government forces and local fighters have reported operations targeting senior commanders and militant networks in several parts of the country, including Hiiraan and central Somalia. The Somali army has also continued to reinforce frontline positions as it seeks to regain the initiative against the group.

Foreign fighters have long formed part of Al-Shabaab’s ranks, with the group drawing recruits from neighbouring countries. Earlier this year, Al-Shabaab itself highlighted the involvement of fighters from Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in one of its major attacks, underscoring the regional dimension of its recruitment network.

The surrender is also significant in Bakool, a region where Al-Shabaab has maintained influence and where Somali forces and local defence groups have conducted repeated operations against the group. Recent assessments have documented continued militant activity in the region alongside government efforts to expand security control.

The group recruits foreign nationals by misleading them about its objectives and religious teachings. The federal government has encouraged militants to abandon the group and surrender, while continuing military operations against those who remain active.

The development comes as Somalia’s broader campaign against Al-Shabaab enters a difficult phase. A recent International Crisis Group assessment said the militant group had made significant gains during 2025, reversing some of the government’s earlier battlefield advances.

Against that backdrop, the surrender of a foreign fighter could provide Somali authorities with further information about Al-Shabaab’s recruitment and internal networks, although the government has not released details on what information the man may have provided.