Somalia: Al-Shabaab suspects nabbed in massive sweep in Mogadishu

MOGADISHU, Somalia - Somali and AU forces arrested dozens of people suspected to have links with al-Shabaab group during a joint security sweep in the capital Mogadishu on Monday, Garowe Online reports.

According to residents, the allied troops raided homes in Hodon and Wadajir districts, believed to be hideouts for the militants who are planning to carry out terror attacks in the capital in the upcoming holy month of Ramadan.

"We believe the detained suspects wanted to hide between residents and use the residential areas as bases to prepare attacks in Mogadishu during Ramadan," said a Police officer Capt Mohamed Hussein.

The suspects who were arrested in the security operations have been taken to custody and are being questioned to get more information from them, Hussein added.

Somali government said this week that its security agencies are prepared to counter al-Shabaab attacks and urged the public to cooperate with the authorities to deter the threat of terrorist group linked with al-Qaida.

In the past few months, the capital witnessed surge in attacks by the militants targeting government officials amid recent strike of military complaining of unpaid salaries.

GAROWEONLINE