Thursday February 15, 2024
Garowe (HOL) - Puntland's police force has arrested 13 militants affiliated with al-Shabab and the Islamic State, including two foreign fighters, during a two-week operation in the Bari region, particularly in Bosaso town.
The Eastern region command of Puntland Police told VOA Somali that the two foreigners, Hassan Ibnu Mohamed Ibnu Hussein from Morocco and Mohamed Ibnu Mohamed Ahmed from Syria, were apprehended during a targeted operation in the Bohol area. Additionally, they stated that 25 other Somali suspects are currently in custody.
"The operation's objective is to combat terrorism and ensure the security of the cities, and it will persist. Of the 13 people apprehended, 11 are associated with al-Shabaab, while the remaining two foreigners are linked to IS," they added.
Recently, a military court in Puntland, a semi-autonomous region in Somalia, sentenced four men to ten years in prison for their collaboration with the al-Shabaab militant group. This sentencing coincided with a recent increase in explosions in the coastal town of Bosaso, carried out by the al-Shabaab group. Security forces have faced criticism for their perceived failure to address the insecurity in Bosaso city.