Ethiopian authorities have detained dozens of suspected Daesh militants, claiming they have been trained and deployed to carry out operations across the country. The state-affiliated Fana broadcaster reported that the arrests involved 82 suspects linked to Daesh’s Somalia affiliate, which operates mainly in the semi-autonomous Puntland region.
According to a statement from Ethiopia’s National Intelligence Security Services shared with Fana, the detained individuals are part of the growing Daesh presence in Somalia. In recent years, Daesh’s Somali branch has become increasingly significant within the global network of the militant organization.
“NISS has been closely monitoring the group’s cross-border infiltration strategies and its efforts to establish sleeper cells in Ethiopia,” Fana reported late Tuesday.
Daesh’s Somali affiliate has expanded rapidly in recent years, with estimates of its fighters ranging from 700 to 1,500. The group has benefited from an influx of foreign fighters and rising revenues, but it remains much smaller than Al-Shabaab, the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group that controls large swaths of southern and central Somalia.
The United States has conducted regular airstrikes against Daesh in Somalia over the years, intensifying operations since President Donald Trump’s administration took office. The ongoing efforts aim to weaken the group’s presence in the region and prevent its expansion into neighboring countries like Ethiopia.
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