US national pleads guilty for links to ISIS branch in Somalia

WASHINGTON - A US national from Minnesota has pleaded guilty for having direct links to IS-Somalia fighters with evidence submitted in court showcasing how he attempted to travel to the Horn of Africa nation twice to join the group which is domiciled in Puntland state.

Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, entered the plea Monday before U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank in St. Paul. He faces up to 15 years in prison, though his sentence is likely to be lower under a plea agreement. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

According to prosecutors, Hassan had expressed support for the militants on social media and some evidence links him to direct praises to the group when it launched an attack this year in New Orleans when 14 people were killed.

Documents presented in court confirmed that Hassan tried to fly from Minnesota twice in December 2024 to fight for the ISIS militants in Somalia. He was blocked from travelling due to improper travel documents.

The FBI later observed him driving with an ISIS flag before his arrest in February moments after he had been questioned by federal officers, who blocked his second attempt to leave the country.

“Hassan flew the ISIS flag, venerated attacks on the homeland, and wanted to kill Americans,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said in a statement. “We are not taking chances. We will not let Minnesota become a safe haven for terrorists.”

Hassan, a naturalized U.S. citizen, remains in custody. He had also voiced his support for the Al-shabaab militants, who are allied to the al-Qaida. Both ISIS militants and their Alshabaab counterparts have been recruiting foreign nationals.

The U.S has invested in the fight against the two groups inside Somalia, occasionally providing aerial surveillance for the combat troops in the country. This year alone, the US Africa Command has initiated over 70 airstrikes in Somalia.

GAROWE ONLINE