MOGADISHU, Somalia – Somali military has welcomed nine men defected from al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab which which tries to topple Somalia’s UN-backed federal government based in Mogadishu.
Somali military official says two senior operatives were among those, who surrendered to army forces in Garbaharey, Dollow and Bardere towns after denouncing the group’s ongoing ruthless operation.
He says Ahmed Aden was the latest fighter defected from Al Shabaab. Aden was bomb explosive maker for the al Qaeda linked group.
He said the defectors would be handed over to Somali authorities after airlifting to Mogadishu.
Meanwhile, Al-Shabaab also claimed to have paraded 10 soldiers at rebel held town of El Adde after deserting from Jubaland state army forces.
The group says the soldiers deserted from Bardere and Garbaharey in the Jubbaland state.
Somalia’s Jubbaland authorities are yet to comment on the defection of its soldiers who are said to have deserted the state before joining the militant group.
