Somali government arrested ten people, including security members, on charges related to allegedly spying for al Shabab militants, a week after a suicide bomber killed 30 Somali soldiers in a fortified military academy in Mogadishu.
Speaking at a press conference in Mogadishu on Friday, Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism Daud Aweis Jama revealed that two security members, Abdisatar Abdulkadir Isse and Ayanle Mohamed Ali, are currently evading authorities for espionage within the army.
The minister disclosed that security agencies had conducted an extensive investigation to identify individuals with close ties to al-Shabaab, who have been funnelling critical security information to the group. This effort underscores the government’s commitment to combat anyone aiding the militants.
Jama, however, refrained from confirming whether the alleged al-Shabaab spies were connected to the recent suicide attack that targeted government forces at the Jale Siyaad military academy.
The suicide bombing at Mogadishu’s Jale Siyaad military academy has raised significant suspicions within the Somali government. Lawmakers from the Lower House, including the Speaker, have expressed concerns over potential collaboration with Al-Shabaab in orchestrating the attack. The incident resulted in the death of at least 30 soldiers and left over 70 others injured.
The victims, who hailed from the Lower Shabelle region, had arrived in the capital for training. At the time of the incident, the soldiers were in a queue being counted when the suicide bomber detonated himself.
In January, Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre announced the closure of every known account connected with the militants to dismantle the group’s financial infrastructure. The government has closed about 250 militant-connected accounts in four banks and also shut down the network and the data services of about 70 mobile phones the militants were using to transfer money, Prime Minister Hamza said.
