HARGEISA, Somalia - Authorities in Somaliaâs breakaway region of Somaliland said on Friday they had arrested a senior Al Qaeda operative allegedly in the region to organize attacks on local leaders and foreigners. Somaliland Interior Minister Ishmael Aden said police arrested âan internationally knownâ Afghan-trained leader of Osama bin Ladenâs network along with two other Al Qaeda members after an overnight shootout in the capital Hargeisa. | Let the guessing game begin! |
| Yeah, that narrows it down. Thanks |
Officials declined to name any of the suspects for security reasons but Aden said he planned to call a news conference on Saturday to announce details of the operation, including the identities of those arrested.
| We'll be waiting |
Aden said three police officers were wounded in the firefight that erupted when they raided the groupâs hideout in central Hargeisa and that authorities had recovered a large cache of weapons and communications equipment during the raid.âWe captured heavy anti-tank weapons, rifles, other assorted ammunition and high frequency communication equipment,â he said.
| Sounds like a good bust. |
A senior Somaliland police officer said the members of the alleged Al Qaeda cell had put up fierce resistance when confronted by authorities in the raid that began around midnight (0300 GMT Friday) and lasted for four hours. âThey are dangerous and well-trained, considering the way they fought back,â the official told AFP on condition of anonymity. âThey were about six against a large number of policemen.â
Aden said authorities believed the cell had traveled to Somaliland from Mogadishu several days ago to mount attacks on local leaders and foreign aid workers to disrupt the regionâs September 29 elections.
âThey came to harm or kill the leaders of Somaliland, international expatriates working here and to disrupt the democratic elections in Somaliland,â he said, adding that the raid was launched after a tip-off from local residents. âWe also recovered a video in which the leader of the group complains that Sonaliland has become a haven for foreigners,â Aden said.
In addition, he said the cell aimed to break into a prison and free 10 inmates now standing trial for alleged involvement in the 2003 murders of an Italian aid worker and a British husband-and-wife team of schoolteachers in Somaliland. âWe suspect they wanted to free the men who are in prison on suspicion of killing the aid workers,â Aden said, adding that the third alleged Al Qaeda detainee would be tried for the murder of the Italian. Police said they had stepped up security around the Hargeisa prison to thwart any breakout attempt.
âThe threat of jihadi terrorism in and from Somalia is real,â the International Crisis Group said in a report that described the group as âa new, ruthless and independent network with links to Al Qaeda.â