Senior Al-Shabaab commander surrenders to Somali gov’t

MOGADISHU (KON) - A senior Al-Shabaab militant commander, Sheik Mohamed Said Atom, on Saturday gave himself up to Somali government authorities after he announced his renouncing of violence in Somalia.

News Keydmedia Online
7 June 2014

The militant commander has been active in the northeastern state of Puntland where his militias operated in the mountain region of Galgala for the past several years.

In a statement the defecting Islamist commander says that he left the group because he could not "tolerate the misleading of Al- Shabaab and its leader."

"I have been tolerating the misleading of Ahmed Abdi Godane (Al- Shabaab Emir) and his group towards the Sharia (Islamic law) and Muslims. I have today decided to leave Al-Shabaab," Sheik Atom said.

Somali government welcomed the extremist commander