Al-Shabab fighter has defected to Somali authorities in country’s Southern region, Gedo, official confirmed.
The man who has been fighting alongside Al-Shabab fighters for more than a decade deserted the group.
Ali Hassan Deeq, the commander of Somali security forces in Gedo said the defector who was identified as Abdullahi Ahmed Noor surrendered to authorities in Dollow town.
“Abdullahi Ahmed Noor was among Al-shabab fighters for 12 years. He realized that it was wrong what he was doing and regrated about it. He decided to defect. On his way to our side, he was attacked by Al-Shabab fighters after they known that he was deserting them. He engaged brief gun battle with them and we also sent reinforcement for him,” said Deeq.
He has reportedly handed over AK47 and ammunition to the authorities.
Speaking to the media briefly, Noor said he was misled to join the group and now decided to surrender himself to the authorities.
“At the first, I mistakenly took that decision to join the group but now I am back and I urge the government and Somali people to forgive me,” he said.
In February, President Farmajo has extended an olive branch to the fighters by offering them amnesty conditioned with denouncing violence.
Al-Shabab lost many towns including the capital city tafter it engaged in many deadly battles with the government forces backed by AMISOM troops.
The group is till posing security threat to the government by carrying out deadly bomb attacks and raids on the military bases of Somali and AMISOM forces.
Discussion about this post