Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) has announced the arrest of a suspected Al-Shabaab member accused of planning an attack in the capital, Mogadishu.
In a statement, NISA said its forces, working jointly with the Somali Police, arrested the suspect during a security operation in the KPP neighbourhood of Hodan district on Wednesday.
The suspect was identified as Hassan Nur Muse, also known as Makane and Ali Sabti. According to NISA, he was allegedly preparing to carry out an attack in the area.
The agency said the suspect was carrying a hand grenade when security forces moved to arrest him. He reportedly attempted to escape and threw away the grenade before being apprehended safely.
“NISA’s People’s Protection Forces, who are trained to counter the tactics of the Khawarij and work closely with the public, detected the suspect’s movements. He attempted to flee, throwing away the hand grenade he was carrying, but the forces used their expertise to apprehend him safely,” NISA said in its statement.
NISA said the arrest demonstrated the vigilance of security forces and their commitment to preventing Al-Shabaab from operating among civilians. The agency added that it would continue security operations to prevent terrorist attacks and targeted killings in Mogadishu.
The latest arrest follows another operation in which security forces apprehended Abdulsalam Yacqub Nur, also known as Abdusamad, who is accused of attacking a security checkpoint in the Hawo Tako section of Wadajir district with a hand grenade.
NISA said evidence gathered against the earlier suspect included CCTV footage allegedly showing him begging outside a mosque in Mogadishu before the attack.
Mustaqbal
