A senior member of al-Shabab on Wednesday surrendered to government forces in Garbaharey, a town located in Southern Somalia, an official confirmed on Thursday.
Mohamed Jama, commander of Somali National Army (SNA) in Garbaharey, told SNA radio that Abdirazak Abdullahi Mohamed, who was a senior al-Shabab operative contacted Somali forces and informed them that he was willing to join the government.
“Mohamed was in charge of assassinations in Garbaharey. He has been fighting along al-Shabab for six years,” said Jama.
The senior al-Shabab commander who also spoke to the media said he left the militant group voluntarily.
“I have taken part in several operations in Gedo and Bay regions, but I have decided to quit the militants and join government forces,” Mohamed said.
The latest incident comes amid sustained operations by government forces against al-Shabab in central and southern parts of Somalia where the militants still control huge swathes of rural areas where they conduct ambushes and plant landmines.
Source – Xinhua
