Wednesday December 21, 2022
MOGADISHU (Xinhua) -- Somali security forces have arrested eight senior members of al-Shabab as government troops step up operations against the terror group in the central part of the country.
The eight militants were found hiding in the Middle Shabelle region, the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism said.
In addition, a high-ranking commander of the terror group surrendered to the Somali National Army (SNA) in HirShabelle State on Monday, the ministry said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on Monday evening.
"Over the past few days, several individuals who served in the al-Shabab Khawarij group as self-styled elders and militia commanders have surrendered to the government," the statement said.
The surrenders were in line with the government's amnesty and rehabilitation offer for militants who wish to chart their new future.
"The government... calls on other militia to heed this call for amnesty and rehabilitation and gain the opportunity to be reintegrated back into a productive society that is forging ahead to a prosperous future," the ministry said.
Government forces have conducted several operations in central Somalia in recent weeks against al-Shabab and liberated several villages.
Pro-government local militia known as Ma'awisley, backed by government forces, also mounted attacks on members of al-Shabab, flushing them out of several former strongholds that the extremist group had held for decades.