Dozens nabbed as police target Al-Shabaab sleeping cells

The operation comes ahead of the Lower House election in Jowhar, one of the two voting districts in HirShabelle state.

News Keydmedia Online
19 October 2021

JOWHAR, Somalia - Somali Police arrested dozens of suspects early Monday morning following a massive house-to-house search in Jowhar town, 90 kilometers north of Mogadishu.

HirShabelle regional Police spokesman Dini Ahmed said they nabbed many people in the operation but most were released except 32 undergoing further investigations are underway.

Ahmed added that the aim of the sweep was to ensure the security of the city ahead of the Lower House election which is expected to kick start in the coming few weeks, per the sources.

Security officials have vowed over recent months to step up operations against Al-Shabaab and organized crime, amid a string of bombings linked to the Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group.

Two HirShabelle state lawmakers have been wounded in an IED blast in Jowhar early this month, the latest in a string of attacks in the volatile city, which houses top regional leaders.

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