BAIDOA (SMN) – The Southwest regional security forces nabbed a senior Al-Shabaab commander at Baidoa’s Shaati Gaduud airport after a tip-off from the intelligence service.
Officials say Omar Mohamed Ismail alias “Nor” was trying to board a flight to Mogadishu at the time of his arrest. He was handed over to the relevant security agencies for questioning.
Nor during an interview said he was a Quranic teacher before joining Al-Shabaab following a brainwashing by a close relative within the group, which is an ally of Al-Qaeda in East Africa.
The detained commander said he came from Jilib town in the Middle Jubba region, which serves as the main Al-Shabaab headquarters in southern Somalia, where he was trained.
His arrest comes as the Somali army stepped up operations against Al-Shabaab in most parts of the country with HE President Hassan Sheikh leading the re-liberation campaign.
