Somalia captures senior al-Shabab commander
Somali authorities say they have arrested a high-ranking commander of the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militant group during an operation in the capital, Mogadishu.
Government spokesman Ridwan Hagi Abdiwali said the militant commander, whose identity was not revealed pending further investigation, was captured with three other comrades as security forces stormed their hideout in northern Mogadishu. Their munitions and weapons were confiscated following the raid.
The top terrorist has reportedly masterminded several bomb attacks and assassinations in Mogadishu over the past few months.
Also on Friday, at least 10 people, including Somalia's Ambassador to Switzerland Yusuf Mohamed Ismail Baribari, were killed when al-Shabab militants launched an attack against the Maka al-Mukarama hotel in Mogadishu.
The deadly assault started when a bomber hit his explosives-laden car at the gate of the hotel, and shortly afterwards gunmen moved in.
Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke faces an uphill battle to rein in corruption, defeat al-Shabab extremists and rebuild war-ravaged Somalia.
The Horn of Africa country has been the scene of deadly clashes between government forces and al-Shabab militants since 2006.
The militants have been pushed out of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, and other major cities in the country by government forces and the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), which is largely made up of troops from Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Sierra Leone, and Kenya.
MP/AS/MHB
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