Over twenty Al-Shabaab suspects nabbed in operation in Mogadishu

Joint forces from Somali government and African Union peacekeeping mission (AMISOM) arrested over twenty Al-Shabaab suspects during a security operation in Hamar Jajab and Waberi district of Mogadishu.

Police commissioner for Benadir region, Bashir Abshir Gedi said on Saturday night that the security forces carried out in collaboration with AMISOM forces raided several houses in Mogadishu to flush out Al-Shabaab suspects.

“We detained over twenty people during major operations. We knew that some of them were planning to wage attacks against the population of Mogadishu,” Gedi said.

The operation was aimed at ensuring peace and security in the districts by flushing out the terrorist elements, he said, adding that the operation will continue to eliminate remnants of the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.

He said similar security operation has been going on in the rest of the capital over the past two weeks.

Security officials believe armed groups have used residential areas as bases to prepare attacks and then mingled with residents in urban areas to carry them out.

Government and AMISOM forces are always conducting security operations to prevent militants from launching attacks, but Al-Shabaab which is battling federal government is still able to wage attacks in the country.