Somali intel says it captured ‘wanted’ al-Shabaab operative

MOGADISHU, Somalia

Somalia’s intelligence agency on Saturday said that it captured a “wanted” operative of the al-Shabaab terrorist group in an operation in the country’s capital Mogadishu.

Muhiyadin Daqare, who is a “senior” member of al-Shabaab and a subordinate of the terror group’s ringleader Ahmed Diiriye, was hiding in Mogadishu, the intelligence agency said on X.

Somalia has been plagued by insecurity for years, with the main threats emanating from al-Shabaab and the Daesh/ISIS terror groups.

Since 2007, al-Shabaab has been fighting the Somali government and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) – a multidimensional mission authorized by the African Union and mandated by the UN Security Council.

The terror group has stepped up attacks since Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was elected for a second term in 2022, declared an "all-out war" on the terror group.