Somali forces arrest al-Shabaab head of explosives

Somali National Army (SNA) said Tuesday its forces have arrested al-Shabab’s head responsible for explosive devices in the Mudug region, the central part of Somalia.

Radio Mogadishu reported that Salman Dadir was arrested while transporting explosive devices near Amara town.

It said Dadir was captured by the 21st division of the SNA backed by the Galmudug States security forces while driving a car containing explosives. The latest arrest of Dadir has been hailed as a significant step in liberating the region from al-Shabab.

   The Somali government said last week that the ongoing military operations have in the recent past registered significant gains in uprooting al-Shabab and recovering important territories which were previously outside government control.

The government also said huge progress has been made in weakening the financial strength of al-Shabab terrorists including closing 250 bank accounts to tighten the militant group’s funding sources.

“Somalia remains central to stability and security in all of East Africa. U.S. Africa Command’s forces train, advise, and assist partner forces to help give them the tools they need to defeat al-Shabab, the largest and most deadly al-Qaeda network in the world,” the statement continued.

                                - Xinhua