MOGADISHU, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Somali security forces have arrested a senior al-Shabab leader responsible for procuring arms and explosive devices used in carrying out multiple terror attacks across Somalia.
The Ministry of Defense said Zakaria Kamal Sufi, who was tasked with procuring arms and explosives from foreign sources to arm al-Shabab terrorists, was arrested in a sting operation.
"Today (Friday), after a planned investigation and intelligence operation, security forces successfully captured Zakaria Kamal Sufi, a key figure in the al-Shabab enemy ranks responsible for procuring arms and explosives to target our people. This is a major victory for our nation's security," the ministry said in a statement issued in the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
Somali security forces backed by local militia have been conducting joint offensives against the Islamist militants since July 2022 as part of an all-out war against the group.
However, the al-Shabab terror group, which still controls some parts of rural areas in southern and central Somalia, continues to carry out high-profile attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere across the country. ■