Kismayo (Halbeeg)- A top Al-Shabab leader on Sunday surrendered to Somali National Army (SNA) in Southern Somalia.
Recent past week, over thirteen Al-Shabaab fighters defected to authorities in Jubbaland state.
Speaking to the media, Abdifatah Mohamed Ibrahim, the commander of 43rd platoon of SNA said the ringleader along with one of his bodyguards defected to Somali Army.
Mr. Ibrahim pointed out that the leader who was identified as Ali Abdullahi Sheikh surrendered himself after Somali forces recaptured a village under his control.
“Following fierce fighting with Al-Shabab, our forces seized Haji-Muse village,” Mr. Ibrahim said, “Its (the village) administrator who fled the area during the fighting in the village, came back and surrendered himself to the army.”
Mr Ibrahim termed Sheikh’s decision courageous and urged other fighters in the group to surrender to authorities.
“Somali army hopes that other fighters who have been misled into group’s acts will emulate Sheikh,” he said.
Sources say before deciding to defect, Sheikh had been in contact with some of his relatives who are members of the government forces. They were among the troops that received him Sunday.
Sheikh is the second high-profile member of al-Shabab known to have defected since last month when Jubbaland authorities and Amisom agreed to accelerate the fight against Al-Shabaab fighters in the state.
The group wants to topple the government and impose its own administration.
Al Shabaab ruled most of south-central Somalia until 2011 when it was driven out of Mogadishu by African Union troops.
Despite the loss of territory, the group still carries out major gun and bomb attacks against Amisom, SNA based as well as Somali government institutions.
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