MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) says a senior commander defected from al Qaeda linked al Shabaab has arrived in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
The spy agency says Mukhtar Mohamed Abdi aka Mukhtar Ganey defected after he made contacts with the intelligence of Somalia.
He was airlifted to Mogadishu.
The agency didn’t specify when he defected and what was his role within the militant group of al Shabaab.
Waxaa hadda Muqdisho soo gaaray Mukhtar Mohamed Abdi (Mukhtaar Ganeey), oo ahaa sargaal sare oo muddo dheer ka tirsanaa argagixisada Alshabab, kadib markuu ka dalbaday NISA inay u sahasho sidii uu uga soo goosan lahaa. pic.twitter.com/i4BZkLemUf
— NISA (@HSNQ_NISA) June 29, 2019
Al Shabaab, an al Qaeda linked group, which wants to topple the weak-western backed government of Somalia.
The militant group was driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, after joint offensive carried out by Somali army and African Union troops.
The group carried out deadly attacks on AU, Somali army bases, with some of those attacks targeted hotels, popular eateries and other public gatherings in the capital of Mogadishu.
The rebel group has been waging insurgency for more than ten years in Somalia.
