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Senior aide to Al-Shabaab commander captured in Mogadishu

Muhyidin Daqare who is said to be an aide to Al-Shabaab Commander Ahmed Dirie. (Handout)

By Hassan Mohamed | Saturday, February 3, 2024

NISA said Daqare had on several occasions escaped the police dragnet.

Muhyidin Daqare who is said to be an aide to Al-Shabaab Commander Ahmed Dirie was captured on Saturday in Mogadishu in Somalia.

In a statement shared on social media, the National Intelligence Security Agency (NISA) said Daqare had on several occasions escaped arrests while in active combat for Al-Shabaab in many areas in Somalia.

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“NISA has captured militant Muhyidin Daqare whom we have been tracking for some time. He was captured hiding in Mogadishu. This senior criminal has worked for Al-Shabaab in Mudug, Galgadud, Bay and Lower Shabelle regions. He was an aide assisting Al-Shabaab Commander Ahmed Diriye,” the statement from NISA read.

According to security analysts, Al-Shabaab often operates operational cells in all major cities including the capital Mogadishu.

These cells plan and execute attacks and in most cases, the cells operate in small groups of around 5 or less persons to avoid detection.

However, once in a while, they are often caught when the public shares information with authorities.

Somalia's Intelligence Agency has of late dismantled Al-Shabaab criminal rings extorting money from the public and also managed to shut down over 2,500 mobile numbers used by Al-Shabaab militants.

The security agency recently also announced the closing of 14 websites operated by Al-Shabaab used to spread propaganda and also used as a recruitment tool.