MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somali officials have confirmed that at least three al-Shabab militants surrendered to police station on Sunday in Wajid town.
The three operatives, all young men, were named as Abdirizak Ibrahim Isaq, Hassan Mohamed Subow and Abdullahi Ibrahim Goronyo. They claim to have defected from al-Shabaab due to various circumstances.
In a statement, the police said that defectors took part several al Shabab ambush attacks carried out in Bay, Bakol and Lower Shabelle region in south of Somalia.
Welcoming the defectors, the police also urged other young men brainwashed by al-Shabab to follow suit and give up fighting to help restore peace in the region.
In recent months, there has been an increase in the number of Al-Shabaab members surrendering to Somali army forces, amid ongoing military operations.
Somali army forces launched major offensives that saw the capture of several al Shabab-controlled towns in south and central regions.
Al Shabab, an al Qaeda linked group still holds large swaths in rural areas where they orchestrate ambushes and roadside bomb attacks.
