(SomaliNet) Somalia transitional federal government claimed late Saturday that its forces arrested several members of Al-Shabab brigade which supports the ousted Islamic Courts Union. In a news conference held today in Mogadishu, Mogadishu mayor, Mohamed Omar Habeb known as ‘Mohamed Dhere’ revealed that in today’s raids in parts of north Mogadishu, the forces captured 15 members of Al-Shabab which the US government says has links with Al-Qaeda network. “We arrested them in raids launched on an area near Al-Barakat cemetery in north of the capital, their main stronghold... they are alleged of terror crimes in Somalia and they are members of the international terror groups,” said Mohamed Dhere.
The detained Shabab men he said will go on trail. He also mentioned that the government forces seized a large number of weapons which belonged to the defeated ICU. “An arms cache was found inside the building of Telecom Somalia Company in Huriwa neighborhood, north of the city after the soldiers entered there,” said Mohamed Dhere adding that the forces having the backing of the Ethiopian troops also seized other arms hidden in a house owned by the leader of the Shura council of the ousted Islamic Courts Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys. But there is no independent source confirming the arrest of Shabab members and the seizure of the weapons.