Al-Shabaab commander defects to Somali government

Hiiraan Online
Wednesday April 11, 2018

Mogadishu (HOL) - An Al-Shabaab militant commander on Tuesday defected and surrendered Somali government in Bay region.

State-owned SONNA media reported that Adan Mohamed aka Adan Shah had surrendered to Southwest authorities amid the government forces stepped up their operations against the militants in south and central Somalia.

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SONNA said the defector had a gun in his possession which he surrendered to the government forces in Baidoa town.

Shah was said to have been accompanied by one of the group’s the fighters whose name was not disclosed and both are reportedly under the custody of Southwest authorities.

According to the agency, the defector was in charge of the group’s violence activities in areas under Baay region.

His defection comes barely a week after another militant, identified as Mohamed Addo turned himself into the authorities.

Since February when Somalia's president, Mohammed Abdullahi Farmajo offered Al-Shabab militants a 60-day amnesty, the number of the defectors from Al-Shabaab militant group significantly increased.

The militants who want to overthrow Somalia's internationally-backed government have been carrying out attacks against military and civilian targets since 2011 when Al-Shabaab lost control of Mogadishu to SNA backed by AMISOM troops.