A senior commander of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Somalia has been captured by Somali security forces, Al Jazeera reports, citing police and state media reports.
The arrest comes as security forces continue a weeks-long offensive targeting the group in the northeastern Puntland state.
Abdirahman Shirwac Aw-Saciid, known by the alias “Laahoor,” surrendered to authorities on Monday in the Cal Miskaad mountains. SONNA, Somalia’s state news agency, reported that Aw-Saciid was the head of the group’s assassination squad and was also responsible for extorting local businesses.
The capture follows closely on the heels of US airstrikes that targeted ISIS leadership in Somalia on Saturday. According to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, an initial assessment indicates that the strikes resulted in numerous ISIS fighters killed and significantly degraded the group’s ability to plan and execute attacks.
President Donald Trump also lauded the US operation, stating, “These killers, who we found hiding in caves, threatened the United States and our Allies. The strikes destroyed the caves they live in, and killed many terrorists without, in any way, harming civilians.”
Puntland’s Bari region police chief, Abdikadir Jama Dirir, confirmed Aw-Saciid’s capture. The northeastern Puntland region announced a major offensive against both ISIS and al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda-linked group, in December.
In recent years, ISIS’s Somalia branch has grown in importance within the group’s global network. An influx of foreign fighters and improved revenue collection have contributed to the group’s growing strength. Security analysts have pointed to the group’s adoption of more sophisticated tactics, citing a December attack on a military base involving two booby-trapped vehicles.
Until recently, ISIS’s Somali wing was considered a relatively minor security threat compared to al-Shabab, which controls significant territory in southern Somalia. However, its increasing capabilities have raised concerns.
