Somali forces say detained 500 with Islamist links

Somali security forces had detained over 500 al-Shehab militants in northern Mogadishu, Somalia on Saturday. (AP)

 

Somali security forces said Saturday they had detained over 500 people in a two-day operation in the Mogadishu area who were either Islamist rebel fighters or had have links to them.

“The crackdown on remnants of al-Qaeda affiliated militants was carried out in several districts yesterday (Friday) and today,” Kalif Ahmed Ereg, one of the Somali commanders who took part in the operation told reporters.

“We have arrested around eight thousand suspects and after investigations, 507 of them have so far been confirmed to be Shebab fighters or to have links to the Shebab,” Ereg said.

The operation, conducted by Somali forces and their African Union allies, centered on Mogadishu and the nearby town of Afgoye, long a stronghold of the al-Qaeda affiliated Shebab rebels, until pro-government forces regained control of it in May.
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