APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Ethiopian security forces have arrested a number of Boko Haram and al-Shabaab terror suspects planning to strike targets in the country, local officials said Saturday.
The Sidama Region Peace and Security Bureau said in a statement that the suspects were caught red-handed while planning to carry out terror attacks in various parts of Ethiopia in coordination with transnational terror groups and armed rebel outfits.
The statement said the terror suspects were detained in a joint operation carried out by the Sidama Region security task force, the Ethiopia National Defense Force and the Ethiopia National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS).
The statement didn’t mention the exact number of the detained terror suspects.
It didn’t specify the type of terror attacks either or the terror targets the suspects are accused of planning to strike.
The statement, however, showed photos of at least three terror suspects and high-tech communication equipment they’re accused of using to secretly communicate with each other.
Al-Shabaab is a militant Islamic rebel group mainly operating in conflict-ridden Somalia but it has also been implicated in terrorist attacks in several other East African countries.
Boko Haram is a militant Islamic rebel group originating from Nigeria but it has also been implicated in terror attacks in several West and Central African countries.
MG/as/APA