MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) has arrested an 11-member Al-Shabaab cell accused of plotting attacks and operating covertly across the capital and parts of Lower and Middle Shabelle, the agency said on Wednesday.
In a statement, NISA said the suspects had been preparing to conduct “terror plots, espionage activities, and attempts to blend into the civilian population” as part of Al-Shabaab’s operations in and around Mogadishu.
Intelligence officers, who had been tracking the network with “comprehensive prior information,” detained the suspects in a series of coordinated operations. Some were captured “in the act” as they attempted to carry out planned militant activities, the agency added.
The detainees have been transferred to the relevant judicial authorities for further investigation and legal proceedings.
The arrests come amid intensified security operations in the capital, as Somalia’s government seeks to degrade Al-Shabaab’s urban networks while continuing broader military offensives in central and southern regions.
